Russia’s Civic Chamber has stated that the situation with fake veterans of the war against Ukraine has “become uncontrollable.” According to officials, impostors dressed up as military personnel are speaking at schools and universities, collecting money supposedly for humanitarian aid, and, if prosecuted, asking courts to “show leniency to a veteran.”
The situation has reportedly reached the point where even security services cannot distinguish real participants in the war from fraudsters.
“The worst of them go into schools and speak to young people — they spout such bullshit there, excuse my language,” — said “Hero of Russia” Rustem Klupov.
According to speakers at the meeting, such incidents happen regularly. Z-blogger Anastasia Kashevarova said that at a university in Luhansk she was asked to bring “at least some kind of hero, but a real one,” because the previous speaker had turned out to be an impostor.
As an example of a fake veteran, participants mentioned 25-year-old Yegor Budanov, who spoke to schoolchildren in Mytishchi. He introduced himself as Lieutenant “Tim” and told teenagers about his “heroic actions” in Bakhmut, claiming he had fought alongside the Wagner PMC. It later emerged that, because of his age, he could not even have participated in those events.
According to data from our Archive, in February alone he conducted “Lessons of Courage” in at least two schools in Mytishchi — School No. 32 and Lyceum No. 34. During the events, he spoke to children about “patriotism, heroism, strength of spirit, and the importance of loving and defending one’s country.”
“How could such a person gather an audience in an educational institution? Who allowed him in there?”— participants of the discussion asked indignantly.
At the same time, over recent years schools have become the main platform for meetings between children and participants in the war. Soldiers, “SMO veterans,” and people in camouflage regularly conduct “Lessons of Courage” and patriotic talks with schoolchildren.
