Who are the soldiers on city billboards? Often, they’re “Heroes of Russia” with criminal...

Who are the soldiers on city billboards? Often, they’re “Heroes of Russia” with criminal records and possible war criminals

Billboards featuring portraits of participants in the war between Russia and Ukraine are a common sight in Russian cities. Their stories appear on the Russian Defense Ministry’s website, but their official biographies leave out some facts.

The outlet Bumaga found the names of 24 soldiers on billboards in St. Petersburg. They include men killed at the front, former prisoners awarded the title “Hero of Russia,” and people suspected of war crimes in Ukraine. Meduza is publishing Bumaga’s article about these people and other service members featured on the Defense Ministry’s website (more than 700 in total) in full.

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Who are the soldiers on city billboards? Often, they’re Heroes of Russia with criminal records and possible war criminals

Billboards featuring portraits of participants in the war between Russia and Ukraine are a common sight in Russian cities. Their stories appear on the Russian Defense Ministry’s website, but their official biographies leave out some facts. The outlet Bumaga found on St. Petersburg’s…