Law enforcement authorities in the Russian city of Chelyabinsk have launched a manhunt for a Ukraine war veteran who is believed to have killed his wife, local media reported Wednesday.
Police told the 74.ru news outlet that a search was underway for a 37-year-old resident suspected of committing a “serious criminal offense.” Investigators also said they launched a criminal probe into the reported murder but did not provide further details.
Local media published a screenshot of what was said to be a police alert identifying the alleged suspect, Sergei Moskalenko, as a veteran of Russia’s war against neighboring Ukraine.
The alert stated that Moskalenko on Tuesday had “inflicted fatal injuries” against his 37-year-old wife Ksenia, adding that he may be armed.
Local media, citing anonymous sources, reported that Moskalenko is thought to have strangled his wife to death.
Eyewitnesses told 74.ru that police officers were stopping and checking cars along roadways in the eastern Chelyabinsk suburb of Churilovo, leading to heavy traffic during rush hour on Wednesday.
Authorities have not issued any official statements about the reported murder and manhunt.
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