Chelyabinsk Authorities Capture Suspected Wife Killer with Military Background

A veteran of the Ukraine war, suspected of murdering his wife in Chelyabinsk earlier this week, has been located, local law enforcement authorities announced on Friday, two days after initiating a manhunt.

The regional branch of Russia’s Interior Ministry reported that a 37-year-old man was apprehended in the same area as the apartment where his wife’s body was found on Tuesday.

“The suspect was arrested in the Traktorozavodsky district after officers received an anonymous tip-off,” the Interior Ministry stated in its initial official communication regarding the murder.

Local media shared a video that allegedly showed police officers taking the man into custody, who has been identified as Sergei Moskalenko, a veteran from Russia’s conflict with Ukraine.

Given his military background, military investigators may take over the case. However, the Interior Ministry’s statement on Friday only mentioned that “legal proceedings are currently ongoing,” without offering additional information.

Earlier this week, local media reported on a leaked police alert indicating that Moskalenko is believed to have strangled his 37-year-old wife, Ksenia. According to that report, he has a criminal history and previously served a nine-year sentence for murder.