Putin rewards gang leader convicted for murder after culprit dies in war in Ukraine

ROMAN PETRENKO – SATURDAY, 3 SEPTEMBER 2022, 14:55

Media outlet The Insider published an extract from Russian President’s decree awarding a medal for courage to Ivan Neparatov, who died in early August near Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast.

Source: The Insider

Details: The Insider’s investigative journalists report that Neparatov was the infamous leader of a gang of criminals from Sergiev Posad (Moscow region).

In 2013, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison for killing five people, armed assaults, extortion, fraud and illegal possession of weapons.

Having served his time, Neparatov, as stated by The Insider, signed a contract with the Wagner Group Private Military Company and then fought in Eastern Ukraine, where he died.

His cause of death was attributed to "explosive penetrating shrapnel head wound".

The investigators state that Neparatov was far from the first inmate who died during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

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