Notorious Russian mercenary dubbed ‘The Executioner’ killed by sniper in Ukraine

Moscow's Patriarch Kirill accuses Ukrainain snipers of aiming for priests first on the battlefield

Image of a camouflaged sniper. Credit: Pexels - Kony Xyzx

Russian sources claim that a sniper has killed the notorious Russian mercenary Vladimir Andonov, dubbed ‘The Executioner’.

According to The Sun, citing Russian sources this Monday, June 6, Vladimir Andonov, a notorious Russian mercenary infamously dubbed ‘The Executioner’, has allegedly been killed by a sniper in Ukraine.

The 44-year-old was thought to have been fighting with the Wagner group, a collection of private mercenaries believed to be on the payroll of Vladimir Putin.

“The death in Ukraine of Vladimir Andonov, better known as Vaha, has become known”, reported the Russian publication Moskovsky Komsomolets. It claimed he had been in the Kharkiv region: “He died last night during a reconnaissance of the area, together with his friend”, adding that it was probably a sniper that killed him.

It had previously been claimed that Andonov was part of the special forces units that fought in the 2014 conflict in Eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region. While in action there, he was reportedly awarded a medal “For Merit in Battle”.

Unconfirmed reports also claimed that in 2014, Andonov – from Buryatia in the far eastern region of Russia – took part in the shooting of Ukrainian prisoners of war in Logvinovo. Ukrainian sources also believe he was involved during that period in civilian massacres that occurred in Donbas.

During the battle for Debaltsevo, he gained his fearsome reputation and became famous as a ‘bloodthirsty butcher’. Ukrainian authorities keep a database of Russian atrocities, known as the ‘Peacemaker’, and Andonov’s name is included in this.

Andonov is thought to have joined the Wagner Group as a mercenary after that first conflict between Ukraine and Russia, deployed on missions in both Libya and Syria. His presence in Ukraine was reported just after February 24 when the invasion began.

Messages posted on Telegram by Russian military sources appeared to confirm his death. “He died at night, during the reconnaissance of the area, together with his companion, probably killed by a sniper”, wrote one user on a Buryatia Telegram channel.

Gazeta Nomer Odin, a Buryat publication from his home region seemed to confirm the death of ‘Vaha’ when they described him as “perhaps the most famous volunteer in Buryatia, who fought in the Donbas in 2014”.

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Written by

Chris King

Originally from Wales, Chris spent years on the Costa del Sol before moving to the Algarve where he is a web reporter for The Euro Weekly News covering international and Spanish national news. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com

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