A 19-year-old from the Sverdlovsk region, Russia, was sent to the front in Ukraine to avoid prison, after he killed a participant in the so-called “special military operation”.
The victim had a criminal record. More specifically, in October 2023, the 47-year-old man had previously been convicted for finding a foreign bank card and using it in a store. To avoid prison, the man decided to go to the front in Ukraine.
His family found him after 9 months in a hospital. Relatives told the press that with the money earned on the front, the individual built a bathhouse, set up a greenhouse at home, and carried out several household works.
In June 2025, he went to the store to repay a debt. There, a quarrel broke out with the 19-year-old. The two were seen leaving the store together. Then the victim was strangled and semi-buried, and the place – covered with garbage.
The body was accidentally discovered on August 31, 2025, when a driver was washing his car and noticed something suspicious. The person was identified based on injuries, tattoos, and relatives say that a DNA examination was also conducted.
The 19-year-old who killed him was released 9 days after being detained. He admitted his deed and signed a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense to go to war in Ukraine. Since the beginning of December 2025, relatives know nothing about him.