March 07, 2024

Former Prisoner, War Participant Commits Murder, Again


Former Prisoner, War Participant Commits Murder, Again
Members of the Wagner group training Belarusian troops.
  BelTA Agency, Wikimedia Commons

On the night of February 24 in the Yakut village of Kutana, an ex-convict, who fought in Ukraine and received a pardon for his participation in the war, killed a 34-year-old man and a 64-year-old woman. The latter had won the "Best Teacher of Russia" competition.

According to the daughter of the murdered teacher, the alleged perpetrator had been convicted three times previously, with his latest conviction in 2020 resulting in a nine-and-a-half-year prison sentence for a brutal murder. Despite being released in 2023, his family was not eager to see him return to his native village of Kutana.

The victim's daughter explained that the killer had been seen wandering the village drunkenly on February 23. Despite being reported to the authorities, he was not arrested but instead escorted outside the village. He later returned, engaged in a conflict with a 34-year-old resident, and ultimately killed him with a crowbar. He then avenged the teacher for reporting him to the police.

He left the woman with severe injuries before fatally striking her with an ax and setting fire to her home in an attempt to cover his tracks. He was later apprehended.

Residents of Kutana expressed concerns over the possibility of the perpetrator, if convicted, returning to the village and committing further crimes.

This incident is part of a concerning trend, as similar cases have emerged involving former prisoners who participated in the Russian war in Ukraine. In September, Oleg Grechko, previously incarcerated for murder, set his sister ablaze in Zavolzhye, near Nizhny Novgorod. Another instance occurred in Rostov-on-Don, where a former convict, previously convicted of murder, committed another homicide upon returning from the war.

The situation underscores broader societal issues, particularly in light of recent remarks by Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding veterans of the war. Putin announced a special training program, "A Time for Heroes," aimed at developing a new elite-level class in Russia. The program will be available for military personnel and veterans with higher education and management experience.

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