The veterans the Kremlin doesn’t want | Eastern Express https://video.echelon.pl/videos/watch/454ed69a-5fa5-4fe5-a727-13b069f87d99 Vladimir Putin has promised Russia’s war veterans a place in a new ruling elite. Ahead of the Duma election, a study of United Russia’s candidates exposes the pipeline from military credentials to political office. We examine the gap between official veteran labels and documented combat service, as well as a situation in which a primary winner withdrew from the election to clear the way for the incumbent. This episode asks why the Kremlin’s promises of advancement depend so heavily on controlled selection and political patronage. What freedom, if any, will these newcomers have while speaking for fellow veterans when their interests clash with the officials who promoted them? Chapters: 00:00 Introduction: Russia’s parliamentary elections & veterans’ role as candidates 03:59 Introduction: Primaries and the limits to veteran advancement in politics 07:54 Interview: The Time of Heroes program as a tool of political control 10:25 Interview: Loyalty more important than competence 13:15 Interview: Veterans, military elites, & limited political advancement 15:45 Interview: The economic risks facing returning veterans 17:19 Interview: Prolonging the war as a strategy for survival 20:12 Eastern News Flash 🔴 Watch our 24/7 livestream - https://youtube.com/live/9RY46AUtIl4 Bringing you all the latest daily news and updates, TVP World is Poland's first English-language channel where you can find world news as seen from the Polish perspective and the latest news from the CEE region. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram. https://tvpworld.com/ https://www.facebook.com/tvpworldcom https://twitter.com/TVPWorld_com https://www.instagram.com/tvp_world/ https://www.threads.net/@tvp_world https://bsky.app/profile/tvpworld.bsky.social https://www.tiktok.com/@tvpworld.com https://t.me/tvp_world #Russia #Army #Veterans Mon, 21 Sep 2026 01:40:21 GMT https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html PeerTube - https://video.echelon.pl The veterans the Kremlin doesn’t want | Eastern Express https://video.echelon.pl/client/assets/images/icons/icon-1500x1500.png https://video.echelon.pl/videos/watch/454ed69a-5fa5-4fe5-a727-13b069f87d99 All rights reserved, unless otherwise specified in the terms specified at https://video.echelon.pl/about and potential licenses granted by each content's rightholder.