The Public Chamber of Russia stated that the situation with fake veterans of the war against Ukraine “has become uncontrollable.” The “mummers” perform in schools and universities, collect money supposedly for humanitarian aid, and in case of criminal prosecution they ask the court to “show leniency towards the veteran.” The situation has reached the point where even the security forces cannot distinguish real participants in the war from impostors.
“The most malicious of them go to schools, speak to young people - such crap, excuse me, is said there,” said “Hero of Russia” Rustem Klupov.
According to the speakers, such cases occur regularly. Z-blogger Anastasia Kashevarova said that at Lugansk University she was asked to bring “at least some hero to a meeting with students, but only so that he was real,” because the previous speaker turned out to be an impostor.
As an example of a false veteran, the meeting participants cited 25-year-old Yegor Budanov , who spoke to schoolchildren in Mytishchi. He introduced himself as a lieutenant with the call sign “Tim” and told the teenagers about his “exploits” in Bakhmut, claiming that he fought with the Wagner PMC. Later it turned out that due to his age he could not even participate in these events.
According to our Archives , in February alone, he conducted “Lessons of Courage” in at least two schools in Mytishchi - Secondary School No. 32 and Lyceum No. 34 . At events, he told children about “patriotism, heroism, fortitude and the importance of loving and defending your country.”
“How then could such a person gather an audience in an educational institution, who allowed him there?” — the discussion participants were indignant.
At the same time, schools have in recent years become the main platform for meetings between children and war participants . Military personnel, “veterans of the Northern Military District” and people in camouflage regularly conduct “lessons of courage” and patriotic conversations with schoolchildren.
