Russian General Igor Trifonov killed in Ukraine
Russian General Igor Trifonov has been killed in Ukraine. He previously led the police force in Yekaterinburg, reported the Russian newspaper Kommersant.
In 2022, he lost his position and rank, as he was sentenced to 9 years in prison for bribery.
To obtain a pardon, he signed a contract with the Russian occupation army and went to war in Ukraine.
"Former head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Yekaterinburg, Igor Trifonov, who was sentenced to nine and a half years in prison in 2022 for bribery and illegal possession of weapons, died in the war in Ukraine," Kommersant writes.
The lawyer of the convicted, Olga Kezik, stated that her client had been seeking a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense for a long time. Eventually, he was able to go to the front - this happened at the end of 2023. She also added that Trifonov wanted to "win."
According to her, she has not yet received official documents confirming Trifonov's dismissal.
The wife of the deceased general learned of his death on January 2.
The circumstances of the former major general's death are not being disclosed. It is known that he was killed at the end of 2023, but his spouse was only informed on January 2.
The practice of recruiting prisoners in Russian prisons for the war in Ukraine was started by the Russian PMC Wagner as early as 2022. After the group was disbanded, the Ministry of Defense of Russia continued the recruitment. The prisoners sign a six-month contract with the army and receive a pardon from Russian president Vladimir Putin.