Russia’s System of Fear: Fake Police and Escapes Through War

WHO BENEFITS FROM WAR? CORRUPTION, MURDER, AND FEAR IN MODERN RUSSIA

Who really benefits from war? In this episode of From Russia with Fear, we examine four disturbing cases that reveal corruption, violence, and institutional failure in modern Russia. A senior Defense Ministry official responsible for feeding Russian troops is arrested on fraud charges. A repeat offender turned contract soldier receives a lengthy prison sentence after trapping people inside a burning house. A family inheritance dispute ends with a fatal stabbing at a busy bus station in Dagestan. And in Primorsky Krai, police arrest a man accused of sexually abusing multiple young girls over the course of a year. These stories may seem unrelated, but together they paint a troubling picture of a society where corruption flourishes, violent offenders repeatedly return to the streets, and authorities often intervene only after tragedy strikes.

Killers Sent to War Instead of Prison

In this episode of From Russia with Fear, we look at three disturbing stories from Russia: convicted killers who burned a man alive in a grave and were later sent to fight instead of serving their prison terms; a 14-year-old girl from Buryatia allegedly beaten by women in New Moscow; and a five-year-old girl in Tyumen saved from a suspected rapist by a passing woman. These cases show how violence, fear, and impunity affect ordinary people — and how often victims are left without real protection.

Children Under Attack, A Family Slaughtered, And A Killer In Uniform

In this episode of From Russia with Fear, we cover four disturbing crime stories from different Russian regions: a brutal family massacre in the Tula region, an attack on a schoolgirl by a convicted serviceman in Chita, a 29-year-old triple murder case allegedly linked to a former police officer, and the attempted killing of a 13-year-old boy on a street in Kazan. These cases show how violence can enter homes, apartment entrances, and ordinary city streets — and how often children become its most vulnerable victims.

FROM WAR HEROES TO PUBLIC THREATS: THE VIOLENCE COMING HOME

In this episode of From Russia with Fear, we examine four disturbing cases that reveal the darker consequences of war, violence, and social breakdown in modern Russia. An 11-year-old girl narrowly escapes an attempted abduction and sexual assault by a former Wagner fighter. A decorated veteran is arrested after threatening to kill police officers and their families during a bizarre outburst in a Moscow bakery. A former vice-governor convicted of taking massive bribes dies on his first assault mission after trading prison time for military service. And in Ulan-Ude, a group of teenagers attack a man with stones and bricks after he refuses to give them cigarettes. These stories raise difficult questions about trauma, accountability, youth violence, and the growing number of former prisoners and combat veterans returning to civilian life. As the war continues, its consequences are increasingly being felt far from the battlefield.

The Missing Maniac: Killer Turned Soldier, Defense Corruption, and Violence at Home

What happened to Andrey Kiyko, the notorious "Sosnovsky Maniac"? Russian authorities recently announced a search for the convicted serial killer, but new reports suggest he may have been killed months ago while fighting in Ukraine after being released from prison through a military contract. In this episode of From Russia with Fear, we examine the strange disappearance of one of Russia's most infamous criminals, the arrest of a top executive at Russia's largest tank manufacturer over alleged defense-contract embezzlement, the kidnapping of an 11-year-old boy by a drunken couple, and a shocking attack on a 90-year-old woman by a first-grade student.