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Vadim Nikolayevich Krasikov (Russian: Вади́м Никола́евич Кра́сиков[vɐˈdʲimnʲɪkɐˈlajɪvʲɪtɕˈkrasʲɪkəf]; born 10 August 1965) is a Russian security service hitman who was sentenced to life imprisonment in Germany for the killing of 40-year-old Zelimkhan Khangoshvili in Berlin, Germany, on 23 August 2019.[2] On 1 August 2024, he returned to Russia after a prisoner exchange between Russia and the West.[3][4][5] One of the prisoners involved in the exchange for Krasikov, Ilya Yashin, would condemn the fact that he was specifically freed in exchange for him due to Krasikov originally being sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Khangoshvili.[6][7]
Murder of Khangoshvili
Krasikov allegedly maintained close contact with veterans of the former FSBspecial forces group Vympel.[8]
Previously, Krasikov was a suspect in two murders: in the 4 April 2007 murder by three people of the businessman and local politician Yuri Kozlov (Russian: Юрий Козлов) who was shot near his home in Kostomuksha, Republic of Karelia, while he was getting out of his car; and in the 19 June 2013 murder in Moscow of Albert Nazranov (Russian: Альберт Назранов) who was from Kabardino-Balkaria.[1][8] After killing Kozlov, the criminals went to the river to throw away evidence and were spotted by witnesses.[8] Recorded by CCTV, the murder of Nazranov was by an assailant who wore a cap and a black tracksuit and approached Nazranov by bicycle; however, upon seeing him, Nazranov pushed the assailant away and ran away, but was killed by the assailant with a pistol from close range with one shot to the chest and one to the head after the assailant caught up with Nazranov by bicycle.[1][8][9] A few minutes later, the assailant fled the scene by bicycle.[1] In 2014, Krasikov was arrested by Russian authorities on suspicion of the Nazarov murder and he along with both Vladimir Fomenko[a] and Oleg Ivanov[b] also were arrested by Russian authorities on suspicion of the Kozlov murder.[8] None of them were known to be convicted of any offence.[8]
On 3 September 2015, Krasikov received an internal Russian passport with the name Vadim Andreevich Sokolov (Russian: Вадим Андреевич Соколов) and Sokolov's entry in the Russian federal passport database accessible to law enforcement denotes that Sokolov is under state protection which is similar to the notes in the database for suspected Russian GRU officers "Boshirov" and "Petrov" who allegedly were involved in the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal.[1][9]
After stalking[c] and shooting Khangoshvili in Kleiner Tiergarten Park, Krasikov threw his bicycle, pistol, and a bag containing his disguise into the Spree River.[1][8] Witnesses called the police, who detained him. Then investigators found his fingerprints on some of the items retrieved by police divers. Krasikov denied the killing, saying that he was a tourist named Vadim A. Sokolov, the name on his Russian passport. His real identity was finally established using photographs that showed his distinctive tattoos. German prosecutors indicated that Krasikov worked for the Russian Federal Security Service, who gave him a false identity, a passport, and the resources for the assassination.[4][10][d]
According to bellingcat, Evgeny Eroshkin[f] is allegedly Krasikov's FSB handler.[11][g]
On 2 August 2024, Dmitri Peskov confirmed Vadim Krasikov is a SpetsnazFSB officer, had served in the Alpha Group as a bodyguard of Vladimir Putin (Russian: Охранники Путина), frequently visited the FSB Anti-Terrorist Directorate on Vernadsky Avenue in Moscow, and had trained at the FSB special forces base "Vympel" before he left Russia to assassinate Khangoshvili.[13][21][22][23]
Personal
From 12 December 1989 until 27 January 2004, Krasikov was married to Tatyana Ivanovna (née Paramonova) Krasikova (Russian: Татьяна Ивановна Парамонова; born 1966, Tygda, Magdagachinsky District, Amur Oblast).[8] They have two children: a son Maxim Vadimovich Krasikov (born 1985) and daughter Kristina Antanyan (née Krasikova, born 1988).[8]
Krasikov married his second wife Ekaterina Aleksandrovna (née Lycheva) Krasikova (Russian: Екатерина Александровна Лычева; born 1985, Kharkiv, Ukrainian SSR) in 2010.[8][h][i] They have a daughter born 2013.[8]
Notes
^Vladimir Viktorovich Fomenko (Russian: Владимир Викторович Фоменко; born in 1976) is a retired veteran of the FSB special forcess group Vympel.[8]
^ In 2003, Oleg Vladimirovich Ivanov (Russian: Олег Владимирович Иванов; born in 1976) lived at Balashikha, where the FSB Special Operations Center (TsSN FSB, military unit 35690) is based, and, in 2015, obtained an FSB veteran's ID.[8]
^Although both Georgian and German authorities were aware of assassination attempts on Khangoshvili, German authorities, who were monitoring Khangoshvili, ceased their surveillance of Khangoshvili one week before the murder.[1]
^Following the assassination, the Georgian ambassador in Berlin was replaced.[1]
^Eduard Vitalievich Bendersky (Russian: Эдуард Витальевич Бендерский; born 25 June 1970)[12] acts as the de facto press secretary for FSB's Unit "V", supports unofficial connections between private security companies and the FSB's Center for Special Operations of the State Internal Intelligence Service, and is chairman of the Russian-Iraqi business council in February 2020 and February 2021.[1][11][13][14][15] After graduating from the Airborne Forces School in Ryazan, he served in the military from 1991 to 1994 at the Vympel group training center and is a former officer of the FSB special forces unit Vympel.[12][1] Beginning in 1997, he headed the Moscow based security company Vympel-A.[12][1] From 2002 to 2008, he headed the Regional Public Organization of Vympel Special Forces Veterans.[1] In 2007, he graduated from the Faculty of Law of the State University - Higher School of Economics (Russian: юридический факультет Государственного университета -Высшая школа экономики).[12] Since 2008, he is the president of the Vympel-Fund charitable organization.[12][1] He advises a deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation.[1] Bendersky's son in law is Maxim Yakubets (Russian: Максим Якубец; born 1988 or 1989) that married Bendersky's daughter Alena Eduardovna Benderskaya (Russian: Алена Эдуардовна Бендерская) in 2017 and who allegedly is a Russian hacker and employee of Evil Corp who allegedly obtained over $100 million from banks, companies and individuals since 2011, supports both his own interests and the interests of the FSB, and is wanted by both British authorities and the FBI which is offering a $5 million reward for information about Maxim Yakubets.[13][16][17] Benersky's wife is Zhanna Benderskaya (Russian: Жанна Бендерская).[16] In 2015 and 2016, Bendersky may have liaised with the Director of FSB’s 2nd Service (Russian: 2-я служба ФСБ) Col. Gen. Alexei Semyonovich Sedov (Russian: Алексей Седов).[11][18][19][20]
^Evgeny Eroshkin (Russian: Евгений Ерошкин; born 1963) works in the Eduard Bendersky owned Vympel Sodeystvie which is one of the many Bendersky owned Vympel-named private security companies.[11][e]
^In the weeks before the assassination of Khangoshvili, Evgeny Eroshkin was also in contact with Roman Yuryevich Demyanchenko (Russian: Роман Юрьевич Демьянченко; born 4 December 1980) who is also known as both "Roman Davydov" and "Roman Nikolaev" and is a second suspect in Khangoshvili's murder.[1][2][11]
^Ekaterina Krasikova is a co-founder with a 50% ownership stake in OSTINA LLC whose CEO, Aleksandr Yaroslavovich Kuzmin (Russian: Александр Ярославович Кузьмин), previously worked for the private security company Vityaz-1 Group, which includes veterans of the Ministry of Internal Affairs special forces and the head of this company is listed as Hero of the Russian Federation Sergei Ivanovich Lysyuk (Russian: Сергей Иванович Лысюк) who had commanded the Vityaz special forces and also temporarily commanded the Vega unit.[8]
^Ukrainian authorities obtained vital information revealing Sokolov as Krasikov through investigations in Kharkiv which are associated with his wife.[11]
^ abcde"Бендерский Эдуард Витальевич" [Bendersky Eduard Vitalievich]. Благотворительный фонд «ВЫМПЕЛ» (vympel-fond.ru) (in Russian). September 2024. Archived from the original on 20 September 2024. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
^ abКрутов, Марк (Krutov, Mark); Добрынин, Сергей (Dobrynin, Sergey) (9 December 2019). "Зять на 5 миллионов" [Son-in-law for 5 million]. Радио Свобода (svoboda.org) (in Russian). Archived from the original on 20 September 2024. Retrieved 20 September 2024.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^Михаил (9 March 2011). "Центр специального назначения ФСБ" [FSB Special Purpose Center]. Михаил (Michael's Column) (in Russian). Retrieved 19 September 2024.
^Крутов, Марк (Krutov, Mark) (17 February 2020). ""С санкции Кремля"" ["With the Kremlin's sanction"]. Радио Свобода (in Russian). Archived from the original on 19 September 2024. Retrieved 19 September 2024.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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