St. Petersburg court suspends criminal case against accused contract killer so he can go fight in Ukraine

A court in St. Petersburg suspended criminal proceedings against a man charged with contract murder because he enlisted with the Russian military. Thanks to his new status as a soldier, Alexander Sukharev managed to avoid a felony trial for illegal weapons possession and acting as a hired killer in the June 2023 murder of a local construction company director. 

On Monday, the court granted a motion filed by military recruiters and released Sukharev into the Defense Ministry’s custody.

In early October, Vladimir Putin signed two laws allowing criminal defendants to request the suspension of their trials if they enlist with the military. Previously, only pretrial suspects and convicts could enlist with the military and escape police or prison custody. Suspended criminal cases are eligible for permanent termination under certain conditions, including the end of mobilization or martial law, aging out of service, health problems, or receiving state honors in combat.