A councillor from United Russia in Vladimir Oblast has been arrested for holding slaves and forcing them to work without pay, including a veteran of the war against Ukraine, The Moscow Times reported on Oct. 25.
The official reportedly formed a criminal group involved in kidnappings and fraud.
"From February 2022 to October 2024, the suspects illegally held three men on the grounds of an auto wash owned by the coucillor, using them as slave labor," the report stated.
“By applying violence, the organized group forced the victims to perform labor duties and tasks at any time of the day without pay.”
Meanwhile, according to the Telegram channel ChTD, one of the victims was a participant in the war against Ukraine, whom the councillor not only enslaved but also stole 1 million rubles ($10,331) from his bank account.
According to the Telegram channel Astra, the official in question is Nikolai Malyshev, a member of the United Russia party.