Vladimir Putin honours murderer with medal after 'liquidation' in war with Ukraine

Vladimir Putin has reportedly honoured a murderer with a medal after he died while fighting in the war against Ukraine.

The Russian president awarded the Order of Courage to Ivan Neparatov, 34, whose gang reportedly killed five people.

Neparatov was around halfway through a 25-year sentence before being sent to fight in the ongoing invasion of the country.

As The Insider reports, Neparatov is said to have been ‘quickly liquidated' after being sent to fight.

Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter

His death certificate showed that he died in August via a 'gunshot explosive shrapnel penetrating wound to the head' in Artemovsk, Donetsk.

Ukrainian blogger Denys Kazanskyi posted about the news on Twitter, writing: “In 2013, gang leader Ivan Neparatov was sentenced to 25 years in prison for the murder of 5 people.

“In 2022, the Russian authorities released him from prison and sent to war in Ukraine. Neparatov died on August 5. Putin awarded the killer of five Russians medal ‘For Courage’”.

It comes as the non-governmental organisation Russia Behind Bars revealed that up to 20 percent of some prison populations have been drafted to fight in Putin’s war.

Putin is reportedly turning to prisons for front line infantryLudovic Marin / AFP via Getty Images

He was imprisoned after committing crimes as part of a gang, who wore masks and dressed in police uniforms as they killed their victims.

As previously reported, many prisoners have been enlisted in exchange for a pardon from president Putin.

They’re allegedly paid the equivalent of £3,000, with their family receiving a payment of £64,000 if they die in battle.

It comes after Putin went about encouraging Russians to have more children and halt falling birth rates by bringing back an award created by Joseph Stalin that rewards mothers with 10 kids.