The Kremlin promotes veterans of the war in Ukraine as part of Russia's "true elite" ahead of the country's parliamentary elections. Voting for the State Duma begins on 2025-09-19, marking the first Russian parliamentary election since the war in Ukraine began.

Nearly 200 candidates in Russia's parliamentary election have served in Ukraine. Most Kremlin-aligned parties on the ballot have candidates identified as participants in the SVO. United Russia has several dozen candidates with a Ukraine war background, including state TV war correspondent Yevgeny Poddubny, who was wounded by a Ukrainian drone.

Vladislav Golovin, 29, is a United Russia party candidate who fought in the battle for Mariupol and lost part of his leg. President Vladimir Putin awarded him the title Hero of Russia. Golovin participated in the "Time of Heroes" program in 2024 and heads the Young Army, a military and patriotic youth organization. He is also on Western sanctions lists.

Alexei Vereshchagin is a top candidate for the Liberal Democratic Party. He joined the Moscow-backed separatist insurgency in eastern Ukraine in 2014 and led a brigade of volunteers. Vereshchagin was born in Kyiv.

Ukrainian police posted a photo in March of what appeared to be Vereshchagin and stated they were investigating him for home invasions and threatening civilians in the Kyiv region in 2022. The police stated he fought against Ukraine for over a decade, but he has not publicly commented on the allegations.

"By promoting veterans in the State Duma campaign, the Kremlin wants to show potential recruits that they would be fighting ‘for some higher cause, and that they have bright prospects ahead of them in the form of a career lift,’" said Nikolay Petrov, senior research fellow at the NEST Centre. Petrov added that the strategy excludes genuine rank-and-file soldiers from power.

Abbas Gallyamov, former Putin speechwriter and political analyst, described the effort as a recruitment tool. He said that to lure more men into enlisting, “you need to promise them everything they want to hear, from promises of payments to flattery and stories of their special greatness, their contribution to the cause of building a new Russia.” He characterized the Kremlin's promotion of veterans as "empty talk."

Data on veteran appointments suggests a disparity between rhetoric and reality. Out of over 65,000 applicants in 2024-25, only 168 were accepted into the Time of Heroes program. About 80 of those acceptees were appointed to positions on national, regional, or municipal levels.

Meduza reported in June that at least 1,300 veterans have been appointed to government posts, elected to local legislatures, or hired by state-backed companies. The outlet noted that about 850 of those veterans had prior government or related experience.

Tambov regional Gov. Yevgeny Pervyshov served in Ukraine as part of a special military unit in 2022. The U.K. government described his unit in 2024 as having an unusually high number of United Russia party members and sons of Kremlin VIPs. The British Defense Ministry stated on X that the unit is predominantly involved in drone operations far from the front.

Pervyshov was accepted into the Time of Heroes program after a tour of under a year. He was appointed Tambov’s acting governor and later elected in September 2025.

Duma deputy Alexei Zhuravlyov, head of the Rodina party, reported serving at the front while keeping his seat as a lawmaker. Independent Russian media report returning veterans are involved in assaults, drunken brawls, and killings. Some crimes committed by returning veterans were perpetrated by men recruited into the military from prison. "The authorities don’t at all need bandits that come back from there," Petrov said.

About 167,000 servicemen have returned from Ukraine, according to presidential administration official Sergei Novikov in December. Novikov said in December that tens of thousands of veterans remain jobless, forming a dangerous risk zone. Most servicemen who signed military contracts cannot terminate them under Putin’s 2022 partial mobilization decree.

Timeline

Alexei Vereshchagin joined the Moscow-backed separatist insurgency in eastern Ukraine in 2014 and led a brigade of volunteers. Tambov regional Gov. Pervyshov served in Ukraine as part of a special military unit in 2022. Most servicemen who signed military contracts cannot terminate them under Putin’s 2022 partial mobilization decree on September 21, 2022.

Vladislav Golovin participated in the "Time of Heroes" program in 2024. The U.K. government described Pervyshov's unit in 2024 as having an unusually high number of United Russia party members and sons of Kremlin VIPs.

Sergei Novikov said in December that tens of thousands of veterans remain jobless, forming a dangerous risk zone. Ukrainian police posted a photo in March of what appeared to be Alexei Vereshchagin and stated they were investigating him for home invasions and threatening civilians in the Kyiv region in 2022.

What's New

Ukraine’s Security Service warned residents in occupied areas that organizing or promoting the elections is a criminal offense punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Early voting occurred on 2025-09-14 in occupied Ukrainian territories, with mobile polling teams visiting homes. The nationwide parliamentary election is scheduled from 2025-09-18 to 2025-09-20.

Kyiv and Western governments consider elections held in occupied Ukrainian territory illegal. Voting will take place in areas of Ukraine that Russia captured and annexed.

Why It Matters

The inclusion of nearly 200 veterans among parliamentary candidates represents a strategic effort to legitimize the conflict and incentivize further enlistment. By framing service as a pathway to the "true elite," the Kremlin attempts to connect military participation with political advancement, despite analysts noting that many promoted figures already held public office or connections.

This dynamic occurs as approximately 167,000 servicemen have returned from Ukraine, with tens of thousands remaining jobless. The contrast between the high-profile candidacies of figures like Golovin and Pervyshov and the reported social risks posed by unemployed veterans shows the selective nature of the state's integration efforts. The election serves as a mechanism to showcase these success stories while managing the broader societal impact of demobilization.