A murder investigation has been launched after a sitting judge was found dead near the Kamyshin city court building in southern Russia’s Volgograd region, law enforcement authorities said late Thursday, as media outlets claimed it may have been a jealousy-driven homicide.
One person was taken into custody on suspicion of murder and illegal possession of a firearm, said the regional branch of Russia’s Investigative Committee, which probes major crimes. They said the judge had died from gunshot wounds and stab injuries.
It underscored that the person of interest was “engaged in commercial business activities” after multiple media outlets claimed, citing anonymous sources, that he was a veteran of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Investigators told state news agencies Friday morning that the man had admitted his guilt during questioning. However, authorities have identified neither the victim nor his alleged killer by name.
Independent investigative news outlet Agentstvo said it had not been able to establish whether the person of interest had fought in Ukraine.
According to unverified reports cited by the outlet, the suspect was identified as 47-year-old Belarusian-born individual entrepreneur Sergei Kibalnikov. His wife, Yelena Kibalnikova, is listed as a Kamyshinsky City Court clerk alongside the victim, judge Vasily Vetlugin.
Telegram channel Baza, which has purported links to Russia’s security services, provided gruesome details of the crime, noting that the body showed signs of mutilation, and claimed that the suspect may have been motivated by jealousy.
Yelena Kibalnikova declined to speak with Agentstvo.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
