From prison to warfront: shocking return of dangerous criminals
Prisoners who, enticed by the prospect of a pardon, chose to join the Russian military and fight in Ukraine, are now returning home. Denis Gorin, previously convicted of murder and cannibalism, is among them. He has just been pardoned by Putin.
6:46 PM EST, November 23, 2023
Independent Russian media reported that serial killer Denis Gorin, responsible for the murders of at least four people in the Sakhalin region, is now a free man. Gorin had previously been released from prison and deployed to the warfront in Ukraine, as revealed by the "Sakhalin against war" channel on Telegram.
A man acquainted with Gorin confirmed the news. Gorin, it seems, was injured during the war and is currently recuperating in a hospital in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.
Gorin was initially sentenced in 2003 for murder and desecration of a corpse, resulting in a 10-year prison term. However, due to his "good behavior", he was released after seven years. During 2011-12, Gorin committed two additional murders. Evidence also points to a fourth murder, which occurred in 2010. During this incident, Gorin horrifically cut off a piece of his victim's body and later consumed it.
In 2018, he was mandated to serve 22 years in a penal colony.
About a month ago in the autumn, Gorin shared a photo of himself in military uniform sporting a "Z" badge on social media.
At least 17 dangerous criminals on the loose
Russian independent media bring to light that, to date, at least 17 dangerous criminals have been pardoned and are now at large. Some have already been implicated in new crimes.
Wladislaw Kanius, sentenced to 17 years in prison for his former partner's brutal murder, is among the released. Kanius subjected the 23-year-old Vira Piechtielewa to a several-hour-long rape and beating which eventuated in her death. After serving in Storm Z units, comprised of recruited prisoners, in the war in Ukraine, Kanius returned home a free individual.
Recent reports also indicate Nikolai Ogolobiak's pardon, who was sentenced to a 20-year prison term in 2010 for ritualistic teenage murders coupled with cannibalism.
Additional examples include Artyom Buzhin, who raped and murdered a woman, and Vyacheslav Samoilov, who murdered his partner and then dismembered her body.
It's important to note that the recruitment of prisoners to fight on the Russian side in Ukraine was first orchestrated by the Wagner Group, later followed by other mercenary formations and the Ministry of Defense itself.
