INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Igor Sofonov, who was recruited to fight in Ukraine from a Russian penal colony where he was serving a sentence on drug charges, returned to
arrested this month alongside another ex-convict Maxim Bochkarev, 38, on accusations of stabbing at least six people to death and setting
out of safety concerns.However, in an audio message sent by Sofonov to his friend last year from the war zone, he said: "I've witnessed
recruited by Wagner while serving an 18-year prison sentence for banditry, illegal arms trafficking, robbery and theft, was arrested in May
Police said Kevorkyan was arrested along with two other suspects.In the Volgograd region, pardoned prisoner Alexei Khlebnikov, who served in
Wagner, was reportedly put on the federal wanted list for raping a 13-year-old girl, the V1.ru media outlet said this week.Another Wagner
fighter, Ivan Rossomahin, who was serving 14 years in jail for murder and robbery, was freed this spring after fighting in Ukraine,
commuting his sentence by 10 years
killing, locals had held a meeting with village authorities where they expressed concerns about their safety and the reintegration of
to Wagner fighter Rossomahin, who was seen walking the streets with an ax days before his arrest.Residents from other Russian regions where
ex-prisoners are returning from the frontline have also voiced fears about the potential impact of freed convicts.In the Caucasus republic
of North Ossetia, former police officer Vadim Tekhov, who was sentenced to 16 years in prison for the brutal murder of his ex-wife, was
pardoned after his military service in Ukraine
north in Karelia, residents also voiced concerns following the killings in the village of Derevyannoye of which Sofonov stands accused."How
said in a comment on the VKontakte social media site.A number of brawls and drug-related incidents involving pardoned inmates have also
recently emerged in the media.Like Sofonov, who according to his family and friends was given no psychological support after his service,
former prisoners who served in the army are unlikely to have received any post-traumatic stress disorder diagnosis tests.According to
their sentence, depending on the severity of their crimes, before applying for parole
statistics on the crime rate among ex-convicts who have returned from the war zone, reports of crimes involving former inmates continue to
emerge.Meanwhile, Russia continues its efforts to recruit prisoners for the war, activists warn."Everyone has studied the algorithm for what
