October 02, 2023

Prisoner Returns from War With Fatal Consequences


Prisoner Returns from War With Fatal Consequences
Investigators at the crime scene where a former prisoner-turned-soldier killed his sister in Nizhny Novgorod. Nizhny Novgorod| Novosti NN RU, Telegram.

On September 28, Oleg Grechko, a prisoner serving a prison sentence for murder who was sent to fight in Ukraine, returned home and burned his sister alive in Zavolzhyie, near Nizhny Novgorod. 

Shortly after returning from Ukraine, Grechko committed a robbery. Then he argued with his sister over an "insignificant thing," showering her in gasoline and burning her alive.

His sister died on the spot. Grechko was admitted to the hospital with second-degree burns and confessed his guilt. 

Grechko had been arrested five times, for theft and assault. He was also convicted of murder after getting into a drunken fight with an acquaintance, whom Grechko stabbed 12 times and strangled with wire from a boiler. In March 2022, Grechko was sentenced to 11 years in a penal colony for this crime. But, as Nizhny Novgorod Novosti wrote on their Telegram channel, "However, Oleg was released a year into his sentence." Independent news outlet Meduza speculated that Grechko may have signed a contract with the private mercenary Wagner Group to fight in Ukraine in exchange for his release from prison. 

Grechko's story is part of a larger trend. In 2022, it was revealed that Wagner offered prisoners contracts with pardons and cash payments. Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed he signed decrees handing freedom to those who agreed to fight in Ukraine. The late Yevgeny Prigozhin announced that Wagner had stopped recruiting prisoners in February 2023.

However, convicts returning from the war often go back to the courtroom. Earlier this month, a man in Rostov-on-Don previously convicted of murder who fought in Ukraine was convicted again of a new murder after returning.

The Investigation Committee of Nizhny Novgorod has opened a criminal case for murder against Grechko. If convicted, the former soldier will face life in prison.

You Might Also Like

Notes at the Front

Notes at the Front

Musicians have not been spared from the criminalization of protest and expression. We also share Ilya Yashin's final words.
There Is Only Death There
  • September 28, 2023

There Is Only Death There

New statistics reveal that one in five mobilized Russians did not survive even two months in the Russian war in Ukraine.
From Trenches to Schools
  • September 18, 2023

From Trenches to Schools

Russian soldiers returned from the war in Ukraine will give new practical courses on security and defense for schoolchildren.
Violence Comes Home, Too
  • April 22, 2023

Violence Comes Home, Too

A man from Nizhny Novgorod fought in Ukraine. When he returned to Russia, he killed his wife.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals
[INVALID]
[INVALID]

Some of our Books

The Latchkey Murders
July 01, 2015

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...

Driving Down Russia's Spine
June 01, 2016

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 

Murder and the Muse
December 12, 2016

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.

Murder at the Dacha
July 01, 2013

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.

At the Circus
January 01, 2013

At the Circus

This wonderful novella by Alexander Kuprin tells the story of the wrestler Arbuzov and his battle against a renowned American wrestler. Rich in detail and characterization, At the Circus brims with excitement and life. You can smell the sawdust in the big top, see the vivid and colorful characters, sense the tension build as Arbuzov readies to face off against the American.

Life Stories
September 01, 2009

Life Stories

The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.

White Magic
June 01, 2021

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955