Russian ex-convict from assault platoon killed in Ukraine war

This is the first known case of death of a woman who signed a contract with the Ministry of Defence directly from a penal colony, the publication "Important Stories" reports.

According to the Perekrestok-Info newspaper, Elena died in Belgorod Region. Her sister Olga told 47news that Elena served as a rifleman-sanitarian in an assault platoon.According to the official version, she died as a result of a hit-and-run accident. However, the family doubts the reliability of this information. On the eve of the tragedy, Elena's mother received a call from an unknown man who said that he would "take care of Elena and wean her from bad habits".

According to Olga, Yelena signed a contract with the Ministry of Defence in May while in a women's colony in the Leningrad region. Out of 60 female prisoners who expressed a desire to go to war, ten were selected, taking into account their articles and psychological profile. Yelena had only one year left before her term was up.

"Important Stories" found out that Pimonenkova had at least six convictions. She was first convicted at the age of 23 for attacking a man with a knife. In the following years she was prosecuted for robbery, theft, death threats, intentional harm to health and car theft. Many of the offences were committed while under the influence of alcohol.

Earlier it was reported that the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation started recruiting female prisoners to participate in military operations. According to journalists, such cases were recorded in colonies in Leningrad, Ivanovo, Vladimir regions, Perm Krai and Mordovia. The AFU General Staff also noted facts of recruitment of convicted women by the Russian military.