Wagner Group veteran arrested for partner's murder in Moscow

In Moscow, a former convict who was recruited by the Wagner Group has been arrested for the brutal murder of his partner upon his return from the war in Ukraine. At the time of the crime, the victim's 15-year-old daughter was present in the apartment.

The heinous act occurred in the Bibirevo district, located in the northeastern administrative district of Moscow. Investigators revealed that 51-year-old Wagner Group combatant Sergey Mironov gruesomely cut off his 42-year-old partner's ear before stabbing her at least 15 times with a knife. Ultimately, he dialed the police himself.

Reports from Russian media indicate that the detained man had multiple previous convictions. Before joining the ranks of the Wagner mercenaries, he served time for inflicting grievous bodily harm that resulted in death.

Mironov participated in front-line battles in Ukraine from October 2022 until April 2023. Following his pardon by President Vladimir Putin, he returned to Moscow and began residing with Svetlana K. The murder followed an argument while the victim's 15-year-old daughter was in the apartment.

An article in "The Wall Street Journal" by Ivana Stradner and Mark Montgomery highlights, “As NATO marks its 75th anniversary, and Putin faces increasing losses in Ukraine, Moscow seeks to establish a new battleground in the Balkans.”

The experts underscore that Russia might not deploy its troops directly but could leverage Serbia to spark violence and instability.

They comment, "A second campaign of violence and provocation seems to be in preparation by Belgrade and Moscow for 2024," referencing the previous year's build-up of Serbian forces and equipment along the border with Kosovo.