Underworld criminal released by Putin to fight in Ukraine shot dead while trying to flee

A 47-year-old underworld criminal who was released by the Russian government so he could go and fight in Ukraine was shot dead after he tried to escape the war.

The man, identified as Zaur Aliyev, had finished serving just one-third of his 18-year jail sentence when he was released by Vladimir Putin. He was released under a controversial scheme that allows hardened convicts to go and fight in the Russia-Ukraine war.

Once released, these men must spend at least six months in the frontline fighting for Wagner, a private military company that works closely with Russia's defence ministry. If they manage to survive the war, they are formally pardoned by the Russian president.

According to a report in The Mirror, Aliyev was shot dead when he "decided to run away." Aliyev was sentenced to 18 years in prison for robbery, kidnapping, and extortion in 2016. He was seen as the leader of one of the most powerful Azerbaijani criminal clans in Moscow before his conviction.

He had completed six years of his sentence when Putin decided to send more men to fight in Ukraine.

"He had been serving a long term, signed up for the Wagner PMC and was killed by Prigozhin's men while trying to escape," the publication wrote quoting Telegram channel VChK-OGPU.

Wagner was founded by Putin's crony, Yevgeny Prigozhin. Last month, he warned the prisoners against deserting. "The first sin is deserting. No-one deserts, no-one gives up, no-one surrenders," he told inmates on a recruitment drive.

"You'll be taught what to do regarding surrender. The second sin is alcohol and drugs in the war zone. The third sin is marauding—this includes sexual contacts with local women, men, flora, fauna, or anyone," he added. The minimum age to be expected in Wagner is 22, while the maximum is 50, according to Prigozhin.

Putin also recently announced a "partial mobilisation" of citizens to annex swathes of Ukrainian territory. Thousands of men have been trying to flee the country since the announcement so they can avoid fighting in Putin's war.