Russian Convicts Pardoned for Fighting in Ukraine Detained for Murdering Businessman in Thailand

Two former Russian prisoners who were pardoned after serving in the war against Ukraine have been detained in Thailand in connection with the killing of a 30-year-old Russian businessman, according to The Moscow Times, citing Russian state media on March 2.

The suspects, identified as Dmitry Maskalev and Yaroslav Demidov, are accused of murdering Mikhail Yemelyanov, a St. Petersburg native who had been living in Thailand and was reportedly involved in a narcotics franchise business.

Yemelyanov disappeared on January 7 after traveling to Bangkok for a meeting. Before losing contact, he warned relatives that he feared for his safety and activated location sharing on his phone.

The last signal was traced to a residential building. On February 1, Thai police discovered dismembered and partially burned remains in the Pattaya area, later identified as Yemelyanov. Authorities said they were investigating the possibility of a financial dispute as a motive.

According to the victim’s mother, Olga Lazabenko, her son had recently received threats related to an alleged $120,000 debt or a car deal. The precise circumstances remain under investigation, The Moscow Times wrote.

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Russian volunteer Svetlana Sherstoboeva said that Demidov and Maskalev met Yemelyanov in the summer of 2025. During the search efforts, Demidov reportedly contacted volunteers and claimed to be assisting in locating the missing man, denying involvement in what he described as “dirty deeds.” Both suspects were later detained by Thai police at a hotel.

Russian media reported that the two men had served sentences in the same penal colony in the Russia’s Novosibirsk region before being recruited to fight in Ukraine. After being pardoned, they allegedly deserted. In Russia, they had been wanted under Article 337 of the Criminal Code for unauthorized abandonment of their unit.

Earlier, it was reported that nearly two-thirds of captured Russian soldiers believe Russia’s war against Ukraine is justified and necessary, while more than 40% say they do not view Ukrainians as fully human, according to a new sociological study.

Researchers reported that the average perceived legitimacy of what Russia officially calls the “special military operation” (SVO) reached 35.81% among respondents—a level described as moderate overall. At the same time, 68.29% of surveyed soldiers said the war was legitimate, necessary, or justified to some degree.

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