Controversy Surrounds Military Honors for Ex-Cons in Ukraine War

Residents of small villages in Siberia are outraged after ex-convicts who fought in Ukraine as part of the Wagner mercenary army were given military funerals with honors paid for by local administrations. The men had been convicted of crimes including manslaughter, robbery, and selling dangerous homemade alcohol. The families of the deceased lobbied for the funerals, but locals are questioning the message it sends to children and the use of public funds for such events. Western analysts estimate that Russia's total military casualties in Ukraine are nearly 200,000 killed and wounded, far higher than the official figure of 6,000.