Murderer serving 24 years in jail pardoned to fight in Ukraine after just one year
He was due to serve 24 years in prison but was freed.
Vladimir Putin set free a man who raped and murdered a mum-of-two – just 12 months into his 24-year prison sentence.
Grigoriy Povilaiko is out of jail after being found guilty of murder, rape, sexual assault, theft and use of violence against a government official.
For the Kremlin, his offences did not matter if he could fight on the frontline in Ukraine, and after a brief deployment he was pardoned.
The husband of his 37-year-old victim Anna Koshulko, has expressed disgust that Povilaiko is now free.
Widower Alexander Koshulko – who found his wife’s body – said: ‘He didn’t just kill her. He attacked with a knife. Raped, killed, raped, killed.
’He didn’t just take her and strangle her. She was covered in bruises, all beaten up, covered in blood, all blue. Just awful. Just like that…
’And she screamed – no one came out to help. Nobody.’
The monster patiently waited for sales representative Ms Koshulko in the garage and brutally attacked her when she went to work in the morning.
The 31-year-old raped he multiple times and threatened her with a knife, before strangling her.
Covered in her scratches, he then stole her car and went to meet with friends for a swim in the sea and drink beer.
He also had previous convictions for robbery and violence.
Povilaiko was only at the front forthree months before being allowed to return to his home in Vladivostok, a major Russian city near the borders with North Korea and China.
He is among the tens of thousands of criminals pardoned by the Russian leader to use as fighters in his war.
Mr Koshulko has formally complained to the Kremlin and defence minister Sergei Shoigu and demanded that killer is taken back to custody.
He said: ‘The neighbours call me and say, how can this happen? He walks proudly around.
’He signed a contract to fight in the war at the end of October 2023 and is already home.’
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The couple met at work, and almost immediately moved in together. Mr Koshulko helped his wife raise her two children from a previous relationship.
He recalled how he was called at work to say that his wife was missing and started a search.
’I opened the garage and saw her… lying on her front. Without underwear,’ he said.
’It was clear that she had been raped. There was blood everywhere, she was covered in bruises, her hair torn out.’
Mr Koshulko said: ‘I could not move in shock. Then I screamed. A neighbour was nearby, heard me and came over, he called the police.’
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