{
  "id": 10967303,
  "title": "Ukraine War Veterans Pose a Threat to the Kremlin. So Putin Is Bringing Them Onside.",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/ukraine-war-veterans-pose-a-threat-to-the-kremlin-so-putin-is",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-30T14:59:11.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Moscow Times - Opinion",
    "slug": "the-moscow-times-opinion",
    "url": "https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2026/09/30/ukraine-war-veterans-pose-a-threat-to-the-kremlin-so-putin-is-bringing-them-onside-a93827"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "The recent election of veterans from the war in Ukraine to Russia's State Duma has been seen as a strategic move by President Putin to further militarize Russian politics and society. With veterans comprising nearly 10% of the lower chamber of parliament, this trend reflects the emergence of a new political constituency produced by the conflict. The Kremlin has actively managed the number of veterans entering parliament, with United Russia initially claiming 86 veterans were elected, later revised to 49. The latest election is part of a broader reshaping of Russia's political system, with Putin's Time of Heroes program aiming to equip patriotic veterans for senior government roles and top positions in state-linked companies. The integration of veterans into politics has led to the registration of over 1,600 veteran candidates in municipal and regional elections in 2025, with United Russia offering bonuses to veterans in some regions to encourage participation. However, the presence of some newly elected deputies accused of war crimes in Ukraine, such as Nursultan Mussagaleev and Adam Delimkhanov, highlights the complexities and potential risks of this political integration.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}