Russia Arms Serial Killers to Fight in Ukraine: Murderers Turned Soldiers on the Frontline

Russia’s Ministry of Defense has granted military contracts to convicted serial killers and violent offenders, allowing them to participate in combat operations in Ukraine in exchange for early release from prison, according to an investigative report by Radio Svoboda’s Siberia.Realities project.

The report, published by Radio Svoboda on November 9, highlights the cases of two men—Vagan Safaryan and Yuriy Hrytsenko—both convicted of multiple murders, who were released from custody and deployed to the so-called “Special Military Operation ” (SVO) zone after signing contracts with the Russian military.

Safaryan, a 64-year-old man from Astrakhan, was awaiting trial for a double homicide when he was released and sent to Ukraine in spring 2025 as part of a storm unit. He had previously served 18 years for another murder.

According to Radio Svoboda, his criminal case was suspended shortly after his arrest in November 2024, despite a confession and a forensic reconstruction in which he demonstrated how he strangled two women during a robbery in 1998.

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Hrytsenko, another convicted serial killer, has been serving in a medical evacuation unit since mid-2024. He was convicted of killing at least five people—mostly women—using a hammer. Previously diagnosed with schizophrenia and deemed mentally unstable, Hrytsenko had spent 13 years in solitary confinement due to violent behavior in prison.

Nonetheless, he was released early and deployed to Ukraine after reportedly requesting the assignment himself, according to Telegram channel Shot cited by Radio Svoboda.

Eyewitnesses and former neighbors expressed shock and concern over the release of such individuals. “It’s hard to believe they give weapons to people like him,” one of Safaryan’s relatives told Radio Svoboda. Residents of Astrakhan, where his crimes took place, left alarmed comments online after news of his deployment emerged.

Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Russian government has been systematically offering military contracts to convicted prisoners—including those with serious and violent criminal records—in exchange for amnesty.

According to Radio Svoboda, by February 2025, more than 750 civilians in Russia had reportedly been killed or seriously injured by veterans returning from the frontlines, many of whom were released early through such military schemes.

Earlier, Verstka reported that pardoned ex-convict soldiers returning from Ukraine had already been linked to dozens of violent crimes, including at least 242 killings and 227 serious injuries. Observers warn that similar incidents could surge as more former prisoners return home without oversight.

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