Translated material
War as an indulgence. Stories of murderers who were released again and again
In February 2026, a suspect in the fourth murder was detained in Yakutsk. After the first, Viktor Savvinov was released because he signed a contract and agreed to go to war against Ukraine. Which actually allowed him to commit two more murders in Yakutia in 2024. After which he was again released from punishment in exchange for a new contract and Savvinov committed another murder.
The victims' relatives are confident that the criminal will be released again due to the war. As Sibir.Realii managed to find out, 38-year-old Viktor Savvinov, immediately after his arrest on February 15, already expressed a desire to conclude a contract.
About how the state releases criminals in exchange for a contract and they commit repeated murders - in the material Sibir.Realii.
"He kills civilians thanks to war"
In December 2020, Savvinov was convicted by the Vilyuisky court for the murder of a district morgue nurse.
“He was then sentenced to 11 years in prison. Then they reduced it to 9.5 years. His first serious term. Although it was unclear why [the sentence] would be reduced - he killed like a maniac, cutting her up with four different knives. First he hit her four times in the head and then stabbed the girl because she refused him. The body was so mutilated that the family could not identify it. He stated in court that she allegedly insulted him when they were drinking together, recalls Ayuna (the names of all interlocutors have been changed for their safety), a resident of the village of Kutana, where Savvinov grew up.
According to the case file , experts from the psychiatric commission found the killer sane and concluded that, being an alcoholic, he “posed no danger,” and at the time of the murder “could have been aware of the social danger of his actions.”
"during the period from 14:00 to 20:00, while in the apartment at the address: <*****> of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), <*****>, approaching A.K.I., on the basis of personal hostility towards the latter, with the aim of causing her death, deliberately, aware of the public danger and the illegality of his actions, foreseeing the inevitability of the onset of socially dangerous consequences in the form of the death of A.K.I. and wishing for their occurrence, inflicted with his hands at least 3 blows to the area of A.K.I.’s head, then, picking up four kitchen knives with ceramic blades, struck them in turn four times in the chest area of A.K.I., after which, taking a stand for knives, inflicted at least 3 blows to the area of the latter’s head,” this is how Savvinov’s first murder was described in the case materials, noting that after the murder, Victor robbed the victim.
His neighbors say this was not the first crime.
“He’s been in prison for theft and robbery before, but he’s never been sentenced to such terms. As a schoolboy, he constantly drank and got into fights, robbing people. He was raised by his father, his mother actually left the family. The father is not a bad person, his family helped with his son, but they still didn’t keep track,” says Ayuna. “Perhaps in order to hide old crimes, he changed his last name. On his father’s side he was Fedorov, but when he got married, he took his wife’s surname and became Savvinov.
In the second year of the war in Ukraine, the killer signed a contract, was released and went to the combat zone.
“In 2022, he also observed how the Wagnerites, sentenced to ten years for the same murders, calmly returned six months later with money and orders, and in 2023 he himself signed up. He didn’t even serve half the sentence for murder, it turns out. In January 2024, he returned to the ulus. And he was very angry that he was not greeted as a hero. He walked the streets and demanded “honor and money.” He literally took out half the store and squealed that “they owe him that anyway.” Apparently, because he killed in the war,” says Ayuna. - It was terrible. People were afraid to go out. We didn't go out. But he began to break into houses himself.
In February 2024, Savvinov first killed his acquaintance during a feast, and then entered the house of a 64-year-old primary school teacher and killed her.
“The locals understood that he was no hero, but an ordinary murderer and robber. What can I say - his own father did not let him into the house! He behaved disgracefully, waved money, swore, made threats - the relatives were all categorical: you are outside the family,” recalls Savvinov’s former neighbor Aldan . “He got angry and went on drinking and robbing. He didn’t even find a home in Kutan; he was seen in an empty house in Sheya (a Yakut village with 728 inhabitants), where everyone also shunned him. On Soviet Army Day, he came back to Kutana, wanted to go on a spree - his friends and relatives refused to communicate with him. When he's drunk, he's simply uncontrollable.
Savvinov began knocking on the house of 64-year-old Valentina Nikiforovna Fedorova on the evening of February 23, 2024.
- She is the widow of his uncle. Of course he knew where he had come. Honored teacher, 40 years of experience, a bunch of state awards, “Best teacher in Russia”! Valentina Nikiforovna not only refused to open the door for him, she immediately realized that he was in a dangerous state and sounded the alarm - she called the police and warned that a dangerous criminal in an insane state was now wandering around the streets of Kutana, says a relative of the murdered Sargylaan .
A policeman arrived from the regional center and Savvinov was taken to sayylyk (a seasonal settlement for grazing livestock).
“They took me away to sleep it off.” It’s a pity that they didn’t take me to the department. Because the next morning he found his friend, a shepherd, there and forced him to drink. Both got even more drunk,” says Sargylaana. “At some point, he completely lost his mind, and he attacked the shepherd with a crowbar. Like, he shows little respect for the “hero”. When the body was examined, they found about a dozen blows to the head with a crowbar.
After killing the shepherd, Savvinov returned to Valentina Fedorova’s house.
“He didn’t knock anymore, he immediately broke down the door,” says a relative of the 64-year-old teacher. “Then he grabbed an ax and beat Valentina - he hit her in the ribs and stomach. She resisted - her hands were covered in blood and cuts, and tried to defend herself. But several blows to the head became fatal. To cover up the murder, he set the house on fire.
Not only residents of the ulus, but also former students from neighboring areas came to the teacher’s funeral.
“She worked until the very end.” I had already retired, but I couldn’t quit – I’ll finish this class and that’s it, I promised. And then I took a new one. The students adored her. This is who the hero is, but, apparently, not for these times,” says Sargylaana. – Six blows to the head, it’s scary to imagine! And this lawless man was sentenced to only 20 years for two murders and threats to kill another neighbor, of which he did not serve even a year.
The prosecutor asked Savvinova to serve 24 years in prison, but the judge imposed only 20 years of strict regime on three criminal charges. Even then, in the fall of 2024, Fedorova’s relatives were worried that the killer would be released ahead of time.
“He didn’t say a word of repentance at the trial.” As if he wasn’t the one who took the lives of two people. He said that he “atoned for all his violations” and is now “clean”, because he was pardoned. But he was actually pardoned by the president after his first year in the PMC. And he believed that everything - this not only allows you to forget about the old murder, but also to commit new ones - please. And right at the trial he declared his desire to “atone” for new murders in the war, the teacher’s relatives say. – Valentina’s daughter has been writing complaints since the fall of 2024 – 20 years is not enough for a repeat offender. Then, in the summer of 2025, we learned that his requests for release and return to the front were fully satisfied. They wrote new complaints, demanding to be returned to the colony - an empty phrase for them.
On July 11, 2025, Savvinov entered into a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense for military service and was released from a maximum security colony.
“And in September 2025, we already learned that he was in a hospital in Buryatia. Like a wounded soldier. From there he completely deserted. We were simply shocked when we saw him in Yakutsk. Then in neighboring Sheya. Residents of the Khangalassky ulus also complained about his appearance. “The Butcher from Suntar” is at large, and my relatives live nearby, who testified in court against him. They were really in danger! – says Sargylaana. – What was the reaction of the police and investigators to our complaints? None! They were simply ignored. The military prosecutor's office did not even send a formal reply. Four months have passed and he has killed another girl!
According to the relatives of the victims and local publics , Savvinov was detained on February 15 and placed in a temporary detention center. He is suspected of committing a fourth murder. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Yakutia does not publicly comment on the arrest; the department did not respond to the editor’s request.
– In Yakutsk there were leads on him, he was wanted. But they caught him only after the murder in the Zodiac club, completely drunk, says local human rights activist Aikhal . – On February 14, he pestered a girl, and when she refused to meet her, he began to beat her. More precisely, kill, cut with a knife. A stranger stood up for her, he tried to pull Savvinov away, but he cut him too, miraculously not to death. The girl died and a passerby was hospitalized. A criminal case was again opened against the criminal under Article 105, murder. For a repeat offense, the fourth murder, he faces life imprisonment. Will they give it? I doubt. The investigation is keeping silent about his crime and his arrest. In the detention center, he already declared his readiness to return to the front.
Local residents online under posts about Savvinov’s new murder also have no doubt about his imminent release:
“He killed, went on his own, the hero returned, and the grief-stricken relatives are shocked how he went from a bastard to the category of a hero, even with the privileges of a veteran. And then he commits a crime and is again a hero. I am shocked by our state and laws.”
“And how many of these maniacs are wandering around the country?”
“And how many of them will return home after graduating from the SVO. It will be like in the 90s”
“We have the same parsley in our city. Gang members, scammers who kill old women, behind whom there are about a hundred victims,” are also placed on the honor board.”
"38 Stabs"
In September 2021, Tula resident Gevorg Grigoryan stabbed to death a friend who admitted to having a close relationship with Grigoryan’s former partner.
– A year before this, Gevorg and Elena broke up, they lived together at her house for about eight years. They have a son together. In 2021, Elena served time in the economic detachment of a local pre-trial detention center, and there she met a guy who was imprisoned there for drugs. This guy left before her, visited her in the pre-trial detention center and wanted to get married. Since she and Givi are friends, at some point Elena’s ex found out about these plans and “attacked” Elena first (at that moment she was still in pre-trial detention center-1, but called Gevorg to congratulate their common son on his birthday). Then he came to the guy and stabbed him to death in his own bathhouse. He inflicted 38 stab wounds, says Elena Arkhishina’s neighbor Sergei . “I don’t know that guy, but Givi lived nearby for several years and he’s not a person, but a walking bomb.” Even when sober, he strives to create a conflict. If he drinks a little, that’s it, turn out the lights. Lena with her youngest child and eldest son (from her first marriage) ran from him all over the yard. And he with a knife is behind them. When he was imprisoned for 9 years, all the neighbors were only happy. But not for long.
On March 23, 2022, the Central Court of Tula found Grigoryan guilty of murder and sentenced him to 9 years in a maximum security colony. In January 2025, Grigoryan again appeared at Elena’s house.
– We are not in a dream, not in spirit, but it turns out that he was recruited into the Wagner PMC in 2023, and in 2024, already “pardoned”, returned home. I didn’t even tell my son. He immediately showed up at our house and the first thing he did was try to kill her! – says Sergei.
According to neighbors, Grigoryan, under the pretext of talking about financial assistance for children, took Elena to a deserted road.
“He kept bragging about his “earnings” at SVO, but he didn’t even give the youngest a ruble. He lured Elena into a conversation in the car, then hit her with a shocker and began to choke her. She said that she miraculously escaped. In the summer, she filed a lawsuit and tried to evict him - she was refused for a very long time, they approved the cancellation of his registration (in her own apartment!) only in September, after he again tried to kill her. To the police? So she complained even after the first attempt! She wrote a statement to the police, Givi calmed down for a while, but even the local police officer didn’t come to see him, and he again let his guard down. First he came to destroy everything, and then he tried to kill him. Why should he be afraid - after 38(!) knife attacks, he was released a year(!) later. They also gave me money and some fancy medals. He tried to kill him again - they didn’t even come to shake a finger at him. So why should he be afraid?
In early October 2024, Grigoryan attacked Elena again when she went for a walk with the dogs. He stabbed her eight times, but the victim survived.
The Central Court of Tula found Grigoryan guilty of attempted murder and sentenced him to 8 years in prison. In February 2026, Elena learned that he was free again.
“Nobody told her that he had signed a contract.” Although she is a direct victim and the FSIN should warn about such things. She found out because he himself began to write and threaten her. She’s really afraid that Givi will come back again and kill her and the children,” says Elena’s neighbor. “And she can’t do anything; complaining doesn’t help.” Just grab the kids and run away from here. Now is the time, no police can save you from the military.
"Murder - rape - for war"
In 2020, Ivan Rossomakhin from the Kirov village of Novy Burets received a 14-year sentence for murder and robbery. In 2022, he enlisted in the war, for which he was completely pardoned. A year after this, Rossomakhin returned to his native village, where he raped and killed a pensioner. He was sentenced to 22 years in prison. However, he spent only 8 days in the colony - he was again released from punishment because he expressed his readiness to go to war in Ukraine again. And in 2026, the serial killer returned home unharmed.
Even before committing his first murder, 28-year-old Ivan Rossomakhin was convicted more than once for theft and robbery.
“In 2016, he robbed a local store, stole food, vodka, soda, and then beat up a neighbor. Then he robbed an old neighbor, almost strangled her, and miraculously survived. For all this, he was imprisoned , attention, for two weeks! – says Alla from the village of Novy Burets. “A little later, he robbed the store again and beat up another neighbor. He was jailed for three years. In 2019, he came out and started stealing from people again. He gets drunk and steals literally every little thing - a carton of milk, a loaf of bread. But he was not detained or detained. Until in October he killed his neighbor - he was running through the gardens after another robbery, she screamed for him to leave her yard, and out of anger he beat her to death.
After Rossomakhin received 14 years for his first murder, he was supposed to be released only in 2034. But he arrived in his native Burets in March 2023, having by then been in the war.
– It was a shock then, even television came to us. The whole village was in fear. He began robbing people again, smashing cars, and ransacking stores. It probably helped that the television arrived, but then the head of the police promised to “close it down” and then take it out of the village. But I didn’t have time,” says Alla.
The chief of police of the Vyatskopolyansky district, Vadim Varankin, announced the administrative arrest of Rossomakhin and promised to put him on a train on March 28.
“We have such an individual Rossomakhin, who returned from the North Military District. It was expected that he would act strange, because it is known that he is a problem person. Now he is in administrative arrest for a day . Tomorrow evening his day ends, we are releasing him, he, accompanied by employees, collects his belongings, and on Tuesday we put him on a train so that he gets out of here ,” Varankin told the residents of Burts.
Two days after this statement, on March 29, a resident of neighboring Vyatskie Polyany found the body of his mother in the house. 85-year-old Yulia Buyskikh was beaten and had stab wounds on her body.
“Not only was she beaten, he raped the old woman and then killed her.” What kind of trash is this, is this a crazy maniac?! How can someone like that be given a sentence, he shouldn’t just have been sent to a colony, but he should have been sent to a mental hospital for life,” Alla argues. – The family of Yulia Ivanovna (the deceased) fought for a long time for the term. An appeal was filed. But they only increased it from 22 years to 23. And it turned out that all these terms were fiction. He only served a week!
In April 2024, Rossomakhin was sentenced to 22 years in prison; in July 2024, the appeal court increased the term to 23 years. On August 11, the killer was transferred to the Kirov colony. But after 8 days he was released.
– Already released on August 19! For signing the contract. How are such crazy people released, even with weapons in their hands?! How is this possible - a man was killed, mocked, and he was set free, and with a gun at that?! I can't wrap my head around it! - Alla is indignant. – Do you know what’s the worst thing? People are used to it. At first we supported the Buyskys, appeals, petitions, complaints. Everyone was shocked. And now there is news that they saw this maniac in Kirov (257 kilometers from the village of Novy Burets) , I don’t know whether he was given leave, ran away or was released. But no one cares anymore. Everyone has heard enough that in another region either a serial killer or a cannibal will be released. This is already the norm. They themselves turn them into serial killers, releasing them after a new crime.
Over a thousand military casualties
Russian soldiers, after returning from the war in Ukraine, killed and maimed at least 1,016 people, according to a study by Vestk at the beginning of December 2025.
According to the publication, returning war participants caused the death of 551 people. The military committed 240 murders, resulting in 274 deaths. In addition, 163 people died after receiving serious bodily injuries, another 78 as a result of accidents committed by “veterans.”
Other military crimes that resulted in the death of people include causing death by negligence, inducing drug use, and killings in excess of the limits of necessary self-defense.
More than half of the murders were committed by former prisoners. Of the 281 accused of killing war participants, at least 142 people had previously been in prison for similar crimes.
In addition, soldiers returning from the front wounded and injured at least 465 people.
“Veterans of the Northern Military District” have 318 cases of causing life-threatening grievous bodily harm, “Verstka” calculated. As a result, 323 people were injured. There were also 41 attempted murders, killing 48 people. As a result of 56 road accidents, 80 people were injured.
Most of the cases found about new military crimes are domestic conflicts, half of which mention alcohol and drugs.
In almost every criminal case - in 90% of cases - the judges mentioned the participation of the defendants in the war against Ukraine as a mitigating circumstance.
War as an indulgence. Stories of murderers who were released again and again