Did Not Graduate From College But Became A Famous Mercenary, Russian 'executioner' Dies At The Hands Of Ukrainian Snipers During Reconnaissance Mission

Vladimir Andonov. (Twitter / @MrKovalenko)

JAKARTA - Russian troops in Ukraine have received 'bad news' again, after one of their mainstay mercenaries is said to have died at the hands of a Ukrainian sniper or sniper.

Vladimir Andonov (44) is no ordinary mercenary. He is best known for massacring prisoners of war and civilians in Donbas, eastern Ukraine. Joining a mercenary group in the Wagner Group, Andonov is said to have been shot dead by Ukrainian snipers during a reconnaissance mission on June 5.

Quoted from the Daily Mail June 8 Andonov is known by Russians as 'Vakha' or 'volunteers from Buryatia' after his native region. But to Ukrainians, he is known as the 'executioner', due to the massacres he helped carry out during Russia's first invasion of the country in 2014.

Andonov's death was confirmed by Zhambal-Zhamso Zhanaev, head of Andonov's home region, who spoke to the Russian newspaper Moskovskij Komsomolets.

Long before news of his death, Andonov had served in Russia's regular military from 1997 to 2005. Then, he moved to the city of Ulan-Ude where he studied at a teaching college.

He dropped out of school before completing his studies, but got a job in trade, before finally answering volunteer calls to go to Ukraine and join the fighting in 2014.

Andonov was drafted into Olkhon's company of special forces fighting in the Donbas, and took part in the Battle of Debaltseve in early 2015, one of the last major battles of the first war in eastern Ukraine.

At the time, he appeared in a video shot in the region which became one of the first evidences, volunteers from Buryatia were in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Ukraine accused him of personally participating in the massacre of prisoners of war in the city of Logvinovo after the battle, and of killing civilians elsewhere in the Donbas.