Suspect of mass murder in Karelia fought in Ukraine
Igor Sofonov, a career criminal from the Russian Republic of Karelia, is suspected of killing six residents of the village of Derevyannoye near Petrozavodsk, The Barents Observer reports.
On 1 August, two suspects committed mass murder in a village near the regional capital Petrozavodsk, killing two families and setting their houses on fire. The suspects were detained almost immediately.
They turned out to be two residents of Karelia, Maxim Bochkaryov and Igor Sofonov. Both are repeat offenders. According to court databases, Bochkaryov was convicted of theft, carjacking, robberies, rape and sexual assault. Igor Sofonov had served sentences for thefts, robberies, and attempted murder. The men did time together —Sofonov’s personal page has several pictures of them together in a prison setting.
The suspects were found out to have fought in Ukraine. They fought in prison units recruited by Wagner PMC and were released after serving a sentence on the front.
