The Russian sons of a fighter bludgeoned to death "for treachery" have denounced the barbaric killing by a pro-Vladimir Putin mercenary army closely linked to the Russian president's defence ministry.
Horrific footage, too graphic for the Mirror to show, was released showing convicted murderer Yevgeny Nuzhin, 55, being killed with a sledgehammer in an extrajudicial killing by the notorious private Russian military group, Wagner.
The convict had been released from prison to go to fight against Ukraine but then he absconded, defecting to Ukraine, and criticised Putin’s war by claiming that he and others were “cannon fodder”.
However, it appears Ukraine may have traded him back for possibly 20 of their own PoWs.
Back in Russia, Nuzhin was evidently handed back by Putin’s officials to Wagner, which is run by his close crony Yevgeny Prigozhin, known as “Putin's chef”.
An appalling video called Hammer of Vengeance was released by pro-Russian sources, possibly to deter in the most sickening way other defectors among Russia’s convicts fighting at the front, and other mobilised men.
The horrific footage showed an unidentified man appearing to attack Nuzhin with a sledgehammer as he falls to the ground and is beaten to death.
Speaking out about the killing, Nuzhin's eldest son Ilya Nuzhin, 31, said: “He was killed without a court investigation, killed like an animal.”
Nuzhin's second son Nikita, 28, added: “Even animals aren’t killed like this…”
Both sons had served in the Russian army while their father was serving his 24-year sentence.
Ilya told Vladimir Osechkin, head of human rights group gulagu.net : “We are shocked - we have just seen this video today. There is no way to prepare yourself for this. We are petrified...
“I started watching it with my wife. She shrieked with horror and I started to shake when I saw that. The whole family cried, even those who didn’t like him. The whole family cried. No-one deserves this...
“Even though he was a convict, he served more than 20 years. He was unarmed, a prisoner of war.”
Ilya also blamed Ukraine for exchanging his father in the knowledge he would face reprisals for his defection, he said: “The man wanted to live, he wanted to get back to his family. [Ukrainians] you gave him away to our men.
“To those b***, who are an illegal armed formation [Wagner] who were waiting for exactly a case like this one, to execute them.
“I can only say one thing. Our men are fascists - but theirs are just the same.”
He added: “If he was passed [in a PoW swap], then all of them, starting from the jail he was in, the colony number 3 in the Ryazan region, Prigozhin, and ending up with Putin, they all deserve the same….
“Our father was killed like an animal.”
Prigozhin has already sought to justify the killing, saying it was a “dog’s death to the dog”.
He said: “Nuzhin betrayed his people, betrayed his comrades, betrayed consciously. He was not captured and did not surrender, but planned his escape. Nuzhin is a traitor.”
The human rights group called for protection for the Nuzhin's family in Russia as the sons fear for the safety of themselves and their families amid accusations of treachery against their father.
