After pardon

Wagner mercenary kills drinking companion by freezing to death

Members of the Wagner group (archive photo)

(Bild: vk.com/wagner_group_z)

In the Russian autonomous republic of Tatarstan, a former Wagner mercenary, who had been recruited in prison, left his drinking companion to die in a gruesome manner. However, the man's previous deployment in the war in Ukraine is credited by the Russian judiciary as a "mitigating circumstance".

"Private Army Wagner" was emblazoned in bold letters on 41-year-old Aleksandr Kuzmin's military uniform as he made his way to his girlfriend Alfija one evening. However, the woman was probably not particularly happy to see him - she simply didn't open the door for him.

But the man was not going to be driven away so easily: According to the independent online portal "Wjorstka", court documents now show that he smashed a window with a shovel. Surprisingly, the woman then actually let him into her own four walls. They then sat down at the table and started drinking vodka.

(Bild: AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Jealousy escalated
During their spontaneous "party" for two, which took place last winter, Kusmin is said to have received a phone call from his former lover. Alfija completely freaked out about it, the 41-year-old admitted during questioning.

He hit her on the head a total of 19 times. As if that wasn't enough, he then pulled out a hunting knife and rammed it into her chest, neck and face. "So that she wouldn't freeze to death", he is said to have covered her with a robe and then simply left the apartment.

Found the dead woman - and left
The next day, the man visited his girlfriend again. When he found her lifeless, he got into a cab and made off, according to the documents. She was later discovered by her ex-brother-in-law.

According to the autopsy results, the woman froze to death - the house she lived in had been heated with a wood-burning stove. Because of the broken window, it quickly became very cold there.

Had been pardoned by Putin
Kuzmin was now put on trial - he was sentenced to eight years in a penal colony. When the sentence was handed down, it was emphasized that the man had fought in Ukraine and had been injured in the process. Kuzmin had already been convicted of murder once before - he had therefore spent ten years in prison before his deployment at the front. However, he was pardoned by Russian President Vladimir Putin for his services in the war.