Russia Freed ‘Satanic Cult Killer’ From Prison to Slaughter Ukrainians

A Russian man sentenced to 20 years in a maximum security prison for the ritualistic killing of four teenagers got a get-out-of-jail-free card after a stint in the war against Ukraine.

Nikolai Ogolobyak, 33, was meant to remain behind bars until 2030 for his role in what Yaroslavl authorities described as a satanic cult: He and several other members were accused of murdering four teenagers in 2008 during two separate “rituals.” Convicted and sentenced in 2010, Ogolobyak received the harshest sentence, as he was the only member of the group who was of legal age at the time of the murders.

But Ogolobyak is already back home after receiving a pardon to go fight in Ukraine, a source familiar with the situation told The Daily Beast. Ogolobyak’s father confirmed to local media that his son had spent six months in the Russian Defense Ministry’s “Storm Z” unit, a Wagner-inspired army unit made up of convicts freed from prison to keep the war afloat.

Read more at The Daily Beast.