Former Wagner fighter accused of brutal murder of pregnant girlfriend over broken speaker

A former Wagner Group mercenary has gone on trial in the Siberian city of Omsk for allegedly murdering his pregnant 18-year-old girlfriend, Russian business daily Kommersant reported on Tuesday.

According to the investigation, Sergey Kozlov beat his girlfriend Daria to death at a party in October 2023 after she broke his speaker.

Eyewitnesses reportedly saw Kozlov, who is twice the victim’s age, jump on the pregnant girl’s stomach and shout that she was unworthy of being the mother of his child, after which he stepped on her neck and started pressing down with his shoe.

“The victim was found to have a traumatic brain injury, a broken nose, a brain contusion, a ruptured liver, and blunt abdominal trauma. The description of all 138 injuries took up several pages,” Kommersant reported.

The 36-year-old Kozlov, who was recruited by Wagner while in prison, initially denied his involvement in the crime but later partially admitted guilt.

Kozlov has previously been convicted several times for theft, grievous bodily harm and robbery, Kommersant reported, though he was also awarded a medal for courage during his service in Ukraine, from which he returned home in the summer of 2023.

The court is expected to announce its verdict on 9 September.