It has long been known that Russia enlists convicted criminals in their army, but now one of those criminals has gone missing in Ukraine, according to reports from Russian media.
Enlisted in Army
A man from Volgograd, Vitaly Shatalov, who was convicted for the brutal murder and dismemberment of his neighbor, has gone missing during a special military operation (SMO) in Ukraine.
Shatalov signed a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense in June, receiving the rank of private and taking on the role of a grenade launcher.
However, he ceased communication about a month later, and his mother has confirmed that he is now listed as missing in action.
Shatalov was sentenced to 11 years in a maximum-security prison in October 2023.
Said He Was Drunk
The court found that on January 7, he was drinking alcohol with his girlfriend and neighbor when a violent altercation ensued.
After his girlfriend left the gathering, Shatalov, fueled by jealousy, attacked his drinking companion, stabbing him more than 40 times. The victim succumbed to his injuries.
Shatalov should then repportedly have cut off a portion of the victim’s buttock with the intention of consuming it and subsequently vandalized the apartment.
During the trial, he attempted to justify his horrific actions by claiming that he was under the influence of alcohol at the time.
Now, with his disappearance from the frontlines, questions arise about how a man with such a violent past was allowed to serve in the military, and what implications this has for the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
