Notorious Leader of Ukraine’s Protests Dragged Out of Car, Shot Dead
2014-03-25 10:31:17.759 GMT
By Terrence McCoy
March 25 (Washington Post) -- Oleksandr Muzychko, an
ultra-nationalist member of Ukraine's recent protests who was
wanted in Russia for alleged war crimes, was dragged from a car
and shot dead just before midnight in the western Ukrainian city
of Rivne, local media reports.
There were conflicting accounts of what happened to the man
also known as Sashko Biliy.
According to Ukrainian lawmaker Oleksandr Doniy, writing in
a Facebook update, unknown assailants cut off Muzychko's car on
Monday night, bringing it to a halt. Muzychko, a bald bear of a
man who led the ultra-nationalist group Right Sector, was dragged
out of the car, cuffed, and shot twice in the chest.
"Those who killed him made sure that he was not wearing a
bulletproof vest and then shot him in the heart," said Right
Sector activist Yaroslav Hranitskiy, reports the Moscow Times.
Interfax, the Russian news agency, said Muzychko opened fire
on law enforcement officers.
Russia had accused Muzychko of perpetrating terrible acts of
brutality during the Chechen war. Earlier this month, nearly two
decades after the Chechen conflict subsided, the Russian
Investigative Committee opened a criminal inquiry against
Muzychko.
Spokesperson Vladimir Markin accused Muzychko of "killing at
least 20 [Russian] soldiers held in captivity," and put him on
the "international most wanted list."
A photograph on Twitter shows a man identified as Muzychko
dead on the ground. His shirt is open revealing what appear to be
several gunshot wounds.
Muzychko was a man of combustible temperament. Late last
month, a video of him grabbing a man by the necktie and shouting
obscenities circulated widely in pro-Kremlin media. Around that
same time, he also expressed suspicion the Ukranian Prosecutor
General's Office had plans to kill him, according to the Moscow
Times.
"I am not afraid of death," he reportedly said in a YouTube
video. My "friends, brothers, patriots" will "continue the
battle."
Washington Post correspondent Will Englund contributed to
this story from Moscow.
-0- Mar/25/2014 10:31 GMT
2014-03-25 10:31:17.759 GMT
By Terrence McCoy
March 25 (Washington Post) -- Oleksandr Muzychko, an
ultra-nationalist member of Ukraine's recent protests who was
wanted in Russia for alleged war crimes, was dragged from a car
and shot dead just before midnight in the western Ukrainian city
of Rivne, local media reports.
There were conflicting accounts of what happened to the man
also known as Sashko Biliy.
According to Ukrainian lawmaker Oleksandr Doniy, writing in
a Facebook update, unknown assailants cut off Muzychko's car on
Monday night, bringing it to a halt. Muzychko, a bald bear of a
man who led the ultra-nationalist group Right Sector, was dragged
out of the car, cuffed, and shot twice in the chest.
"Those who killed him made sure that he was not wearing a
bulletproof vest and then shot him in the heart," said Right
Sector activist Yaroslav Hranitskiy, reports the Moscow Times.
Interfax, the Russian news agency, said Muzychko opened fire
on law enforcement officers.
Russia had accused Muzychko of perpetrating terrible acts of
brutality during the Chechen war. Earlier this month, nearly two
decades after the Chechen conflict subsided, the Russian
Investigative Committee opened a criminal inquiry against
Muzychko.
Spokesperson Vladimir Markin accused Muzychko of "killing at
least 20 [Russian] soldiers held in captivity," and put him on
the "international most wanted list."
A photograph on Twitter shows a man identified as Muzychko
dead on the ground. His shirt is open revealing what appear to be
several gunshot wounds.
Muzychko was a man of combustible temperament. Late last
month, a video of him grabbing a man by the necktie and shouting
obscenities circulated widely in pro-Kremlin media. Around that
same time, he also expressed suspicion the Ukranian Prosecutor
General's Office had plans to kill him, according to the Moscow
Times.
"I am not afraid of death," he reportedly said in a YouTube
video. My "friends, brothers, patriots" will "continue the
battle."
Washington Post correspondent Will Englund contributed to
this story from Moscow.
-0- Mar/25/2014 10:31 GMT