A propaganda darling of Russian President Vladimir Putin has been accused of multi-million-dollar fraud. Lieutenant Colonel Konstantin Frolov, known by the call sign “Executioner,” featured in a defiant Defense Ministry video in which he showed off combat wounds and urged on the war against Ukraine. But Russia’s Investigative Committee now says those wounds were apparently self-inflicted as part of a massive scheme to collect compensation payouts. Investigators say the ploy, carried out in cahoots with another officer from his unit, led to more than 30 claims for remuneration, costing the government around 200 million rubles, or $2.6 million. Injuries can result in payouts equaling tens of thousands of dollars. He is due in military court next month for sentencing. The New York Times reports he faced charges of “fraud, bribery, and weapons trafficking.” Court filings suggest he struck a pretrial deal that amounts to guilt, which can result in a reduced sentence. Speaking to the Times last year, he didn’t deny the allegations, but said he was taking the fall for others and was targeted for speaking out against Russia’s infamous “meat grinder” tactics.
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