Dmitry Zelensky, a Russian man convicted of a heinous crime against his girlfriend, has been released from prison after serving less than half of his 11-year sentence.
The reason for his early release is as shocking as the crime itself: he was pardoned for agreeing to fight against Ukraine.
In 2018, Zelensky was convicted for the murder of his 27-year-old girlfriend, Tatiana Melekhina.
The details of the crime are deeply disturbing, involving the use of a meat grinder in a manner that shocked the nation. This led to an 11-year prison sentence for Zelensky in 2019.
According to 59.ru, Zelensky's mother, Galina Zelenskaya, revealed that her son was released last November to fight in Ukraine. He had signed a six-month agreement with the Wagner Group, a private military company. After serving on the front lines, he was pardoned by the Russian government in June of this year.
Zelensky is now residing with his aunt in the Russian-occupied Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine and plans to work as a builder. He is also making reparations to the family of his late girlfriend.
The case raises ethical questions about the Russian government's willingness to pardon violent criminals in exchange for military service.
