russian military medals

Russian Military Medals - A World War II veteran of the Red Army is seen with medals after the Victory Parade in Moscow on May 9, 2012. Since 2014, Russia has seen an increase in the number of military medals awarded, according to Bellingcat, an investigative organization. Maxim Shemetov / Reuters

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Russian Military Medals

Thousands of Russian armed forces have taken part in operations in eastern Ukraine, according to an analysis of Russian military spending by investigative group Bellingcat.

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The report, released Wednesday, is one of the latest to challenge Moscow's claims that pro-Russian armed separatists based in Ukraine's eastern border regions with Russia are local forces.

According to Bellingcat, there has been a huge increase in Russian military awards since the start of the conflict, suggesting an increase in military activity. The report collected photos of Russian military awards on soldiers' social networks, comparing the medals' unique, sequential numbering to get an idea of ​​the number of medals being awarded.

Comparing such numbers, Bellingcat estimates that between November 7, 2014, and February 18, 2016, 4,300 awards of Combat Distinction were issued, which "strongly suggests greater combat activity by Russia's active engagement during this period."

According to the group's assessment, the daily rate of such state awards from 2003 to 2014 was 0.6 medals. However, with the start of hostilities in Ukraine, this figure rises to 9.3 medals awarded per day between November 2014 and February 2016, dwarfing the two-year figure of the previous decade.

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"Yet, the findings of this report support claims that thousands of Russian conscripts have been active in eastern Ukraine," the report concludes.

Ukraine estimated that during the conflict, pro-Russian militias displayed an armory that was 10 to 20 times larger than the two border regions in 2014, making it impossible to do without reinforcements. The leadership of the militants admitted that there are thousands of Russian conscripts in their ranks, but as volunteers.

Russia's military deployment practices have previously sparked controversy over its air force operation in Syria, which has long been said to be far more extensive. In March, the government allocated funds for 10,300 medals for veterans of the conflict, and among the first returnees to receive the awards were tank and ground troops, not just airmen.