“The ‘True Elite’ on the Rubbish Dump”: The Failure of the kremlin’s Veterans Project

russia’s authorities are preparing for the 2026 parliamentary elections – the first for the state duma since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The “united russia” party, formally led by dmitry medvedev, actively promoted the idea of significant representation for members of the so-called “special military operation” in the new parliament. Initially, the plans were ambitious: the kremlin considered the possibility of electing up to 100–150 “veterans” (approximately a quarter of the 450 seats).

After putin called the war participants the “true elite” in 2024, “united russia” and the kremlin actively promoted them for deputy positions at various levels. But the results were disappointing. In the primaries ahead of the 2024 moscow city duma elections, all 15 registered participants in the “special military operation” lost. And those who did win seats ended up in municipal bodies, not at higher levels. Moreover, many regional “curators” resorted to trickery: under the guise of “veterans,” they nominated people known more for their previous political or business activities than for actual “heroic deeds” on the front lines.

As for the 2026 elections, the kremlin has effectively given up this large-scale experiment. Regions will no longer be required to nominate veteran candidates. The priority now is not a heroic background, but “complete loyalty and controllability”. The participants in the “smo” are treated as “disposable deputies’, needed “at the moment” and “in limited numbers”. Expectations have dropped to a maximum of 70–80 seats, and even this figure is met with skepticism by many.

This means one thing: the kremlin is not ready to grant the “heroes of the special military operation” real power or significant privileges. Instead of seats in the state duma – promises that are already often broken. In some regions, “participants of the smo” are offered little more than a spot at a market stall. Upon returning home, they face indifference, corruption, and economic decline. The war took their health, while the state is not ready to pay for it, either morally or materially.

After World War II, defeated Nazi Germany managed to carry out reforms, rebuild itself, and become one of the world’s most successful economies. In contrast, the ussr, despite its status as a “victor”, remained a poor and inefficient system that eventually collapsed. Modern russia has inherited the same model: authoritarianism, corruption, and dependence on raw materials.

A war for an empire guarantees nothing but poverty and betrayal for those who fought. russian soldiers returning from the front should remember: their dossiers in the kremlin are not for awards, but for screening and the rubbish dump. There will be no paradise.