Four Murders and Two Pardons: The Butcher from Suntar

From Russia with Fear · Feb 18, 2026 · 4m

In Yakutia, a man twice convicted of murder and twice pardoned after joining the war has been detained again — now suspected of a fourth killing. Viktor Savinov, known locally as “the Butcher from Suntar,” built a long criminal record that includes theft, robbery, assault, and multiple murders. Each time he received a lengthy sentence, he avoided serving it in full by signing a military contract and going to the front.

After fighting with Wagner and later under a Ministry of Defense contract, Savinov returned home — and, according to investigators, killed again. Among his victims was…