Putin's ally lauds sledgehammer execution of Russian mercenary who 'defected' to Ukraine

The brutal death of a Russian mercenary in Ukraine who changed sides in September to fight against the Russians has received a strong reaction from Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of the Wagner private military group.

Wagner group is a network of Russian mercenaries. Originally staffed by veterans of the Russian armed forces, the mercenaries have fought in Libya, Syria, the Central African Republic, Mali and Ukraine, among other countries.

In September, an unverified video emerged on Telegram which showed a man who gave his name as Yevgenny Nuzhin, 55, brutally executed by a sledgehammer. The gory incident was captured on camera.

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Nuzhin, in the video was shown with his head taped to a brick wall. He said he was abducted in Kyiv on October 11 and came around in a cellar. "I got hit over the head and lost consciousness and came around in this cellar," he said. "They told me I was to be tried," reported Reuters quoting the mercenary.

Later, the video shows Nuzhin, who is identified as a former Wagner mercenary, admitting that he had changed sides in September to "fight against the Russians". Outraged at the mercenary who defected to Ukraine, an unidentified man in combat is seen attacking Nuzhin's head and neckwith a sledgehammer.

After the smashing, Nuzhin collapsed onto the floor and the unidentified man delivered another blow to his head. In response to the emerged video, Russian President Vladimir Putin's close aid Yevgeny Prigozhin on Sunday termed it "a dog's death for a dog." He said the mercenary was a traitor.

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The video which Reuters was unable to verify was posted under the title "The hammer of revenge". "Nuzhin betrayed his people, betrayed his comrades, betrayed consciously," said Prigozhin, who has been sanctioned by the United States and European Union for his role in Wagner. "Nuzhin was a traitor."

Prigozhin confirmed in September that Wagner Group was founded in 2014. It was the first public acknowledgement of a link he has refuted. He has also sued journalists for reporting over the group and its linkages. In a video which was released in September, he was seen hiring convicts in a Russian jail for the war.

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Prigozhin on Sunday also issued a warning to others in Russian society whom he described as traitors. "Do not forget, there are not only traitors who throw away their automatic guns and go over to the enemy," he said.

"Some traitors are holed up in offices, not thinking about their own people. Some of them use their own business jets to fly to those countries that seem neutral to us so far. They fly away so as not to participate in today's problems. They are traitors too."

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