Russian soldier reportedly sentenced to life in prison for shooting four fellow servicemen

A Russian military court has sentenced a corporal to life in prison on charges of murdering two or more people for their military service activities and using violence against a superior officer during an armed conflict, Mediazona reported on Monday.

The trial was held behind closed doors, and details of the case remain unknown.

Mediazona noted that a year ago, its newsroom received an order from the commander of Russia’s Dnipro Group of Forces dated November 30, 2023, describing an incident that took place in the 17th Tank Regiment of the 70th Motorized Rifle Division on the night of November 28. According to the document, after drinking with fellow soldiers, Corporal Nikita Posmetukhov took his rifle and went to the command post. He knocked on the door but was called out by patrolling guards. He then opened fire, killing Junior Sergeant Vladimir Glazyev.

After that, Posmetukhov proceeded to shoot and kill three more soldiers as they slept: Lieutenant Colonel Stanislav Klyukin, Captain Mikhail Trubin, and Private Vladimir Petrichenko. He was eventually subdued by two privates.

The document stated that Posmetukhov had been angered by Captain Komarovsky, who had disciplined him and threatened to send him to an assault unit. However, Komarovsky was not among the victims.

The order also mentioned widespread disciplinary violations in the regiment and stressed the need for preventive measures and strict reprimands. One of the factors cited in the incident was that Posmetukhov had not been transferred to an assault company or placed in detention for his previous infractions.

Journalists were unable to verify the authenticity of the order but did confirm that the four soldiers named had been killed on the same day, November 28, 2023.