Russian job applicants who disclose that they voluntarily served in the war in Ukraine are significantly less likely to hear back from employers than comparable men who completed routine military conscription*,* according to a new article published in the Journal of Peace Research, a leading journal owned by the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO).
The study finds a striking gap between the Russian state’s portrayal of volunteer soldiers as patriotic heroes and their reception in the civilian labour market. Applicants signaling voluntary war service received callbacks in 36.7% of applications, compared with 55% for otherwise similar applicants who had completed routine mandatory conscription.
“The Russian state celebrates these veterans as heroes, but employers seem to tell a different story,” said the study’s author Sergey Alexeev. “Volunteers who disclosed their war service were substantially less likely to get a callback.”
Measuring attitudes through behaviour
Measuring attitudes towards the war inside Russia is difficult because censorship can make conventional surveys unreliable. Even mentioning the word ‘war’ can be criminalized in Russia. Instead of asking Russians what they think, the study examined how employers actually act.
During fieldwork in 2025, 60 matched pairs of fictitious CVs were sent to vacancies on two major Russian recruitment platforms. Candidates were matched on age, education and work experience; the key difference was whether their CV listed voluntary contract service in the war or routine military conscription.
The study does not determine why employers responded differently. Possible explanations include concerns about trauma or workplace adjustment, reputational risk, or negative attitudes towards those who voluntarily join the war.
The findings nevertheless suggest that the Kremlin’s public celebration of volunteer fighters does not translate straightforwardly into civilian life. They may also point to challenges as growing numbers of veterans seek to reintegrate into Russian society and the labour market.
The article “From state heroes to social pariahs? Civilian hiring and voluntary service in Russia’s war in Ukraine,” by Sergey Alexeev is published in the Journal of Peace Research, an international peer-reviewed journal published by Oxford University Press and owned and hosted by the Peace Research Institute Oslo.
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For more information or to arrange an interview
- Contact Michelle Delaney, Communication Director at the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) | michelle@prio.org | mobile 0047 941 65 579.
