Russian Soldier Arrested After Reportedly Killing Mother and Attempting to Abduct Children
A Russian soldier was arrested after allegedly killing a woman, seriously injuring her husband and attempting to kidnap their two daughters in a village near the Ukrainian border, Russian media reported Monday.
The suspect, 39-year-old Dmitry Stenkin, was placed in pre-trial detention last Friday, according to the news outlets Mediazona and Astra, which cited a military court’s press service. The specific charges against the soldier have not been publicly disclosed.
Stenkin reportedly broke into the home of Olesya Larina in the Kursk region village of Gir’i, about 13 kilometers (8 miles) from the Ukrainian border, late last Tuesday and fatally attacked her. Larina’s husband sustained gunshot wounds to the arm and chin and remains in a medically induced coma, according to media reports.
Neighbor Alexander Zuyev said he witnessed Stenkin attempting to abduct the Larins’ two daughters, ages six and 10, before security guards detained him at a nearby vocational school housing army medics. Zuyev said Stenkin appeared to be under the influence of drugs at the time of his detention.
A photo shared by the Larins’ 18-year-old son, Ilya, who lives in the city of Kursk, showed what was said to be a bloodied Stenkin in military uniform with his hands tied behind his back.
According to Astra, Stenkin has multiple felony convictions dating back to 2017 and may have enlisted in the military from prison sometime after January 2025.
Russian officials have not commented publicly on reported murder of Larina.
Acting Kursk region Governor Alexander Khinshtein had previously urged residents to avoid returning to towns and villages near the border due to ongoing safety risks.
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