Russian soldier accused of war crimes in Ukraine appointed government minister in Russia’s Dagestan

A veteran of Russia’s full-scale war in Ukraine has been appointed the acting minister for National Policy and Religious Affairs of Dagestan, according to the press service of the republic’s governor, Sergey Melikov.

Temirlan Abutalimov has been a participant in Russia’s “Time of Heroes” program, an initiative designed to prepare war veterans for public service, since May 2024. According to the Dagestani authorities, the former soldier “completed an internship under the mentorship of the republic’s head.”

Russian media reports indicate that Abutalimov served as a company commander and fought in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region. In Decetmber 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin awarded him the title of Hero of Russia.

Abutalimov is wanted on war crimes charges in Ukraine. The Ukrainian Defense Ministry’s Main Intelligence Directorate has named him as one of the suspects in the killing of four Ukrainian soldiers who had surrendered near the village of Robotyne in the Zaporizhzhia region in May 2024.

The “Time of Heroes” program was launched in March 2024 at Vladimir Putin’s initiative. Its goal is to train military personnel into “highly qualified, competent leaders” for positions in government agencies and state-owned companies.

Temirlan Abutalimov isn’t the first participant in the program to take a government post after being accused of war crimes in Ukraine. In February, former serviceman Nursultan Mussagaleev, whom Ukraine has accused of killing civilians in Bucha, was appointed to a position in the Orenburg region’s government.