A former Special Military Operation (SVO) veteran, Vitaliy Manannikov, was sentenced to three years for attempting to kidnap a girl in the Moscow region. Despite claiming he acted out of concern for the child, the court found his actions intentional. Manannikov, a former Russian Guard member, had a criminal record and was intoxicated at the time of the incident. This episode explores how veterans, including those with violent pasts, are reintegrated into society and continue to pose serious threats to public safety, shedding light on the dark side of war veteran reintegration.

A dramatic police shootout on Moscow’s elite Rublyovka Highway exposed a disturbing reality behind Russia’s war-time pardons. Two former Wagner mercenaries — both convicted killers released from prison to fight — carried out a double murder in Penza and Moscow before opening fire on police during their arrest. One suspect was killed, the other arrested and now faces life imprisonment, yet has already asked to return to the war. This episode examines how violent offenders are recycled through the battlefield and released back into society, with deadly consequences.

A shocking case from Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport has ended with an unexpected legal outcome. Vladimir Vitkov, who violently attacked a two-year-old child and caused severe spinal and skull injuries, has been declared legally insane and sent for compulsory psychiatric treatment. In this episode of From Russia with Fear, we reconstruct the events of that day, examine how an intoxicated man was able to pass airport security, and explore the consequences for the victim’s family — refugees who believed they had escaped violence. A story about responsibility, systemic failure, and a child whose life was forever changed in a place meant to be safe.

A Russian court has sentenced Alexander Sergeev to life imprisonment for the murder of 13-year-old schoolgirl Violetta in the Tver region. The crime, committed in March last year, deeply shocked a small rural community and drew attention across the region due to the scale of the search operation and the background of the convicted man.

Sergeev was a repeat violent offender with multiple prior convictions who had been released early after signing a military contract. In this episode, we carefully reconstruct the events leading up to the girl’s disappearance, the week-long search involving hundreds of volunteers and law enforcement officers, and the investigation that ultimately led to the arrest of the suspect.

We also examine the reaction of the local community, the emotional farewell to the murdered child, and the conflicting statements surrounding Sergeev’s participation in the Special Military Operation. This story raises difficult and uncomfortable questions about early release policies, supervision of repeat offenders, and the price society pays for systemic failures.

The disappearance of a nine-year-old boy in Saint Petersburg triggered a massive search involving hundreds of volunteers and police officers. Days later, the search ended in tragedy when the child’s body was found in a pond in the Leningrad region. Investigators detained a suspect who confessed to the crime and now faces life imprisonment. This episode examines the investigation, the search effort, and the questions this case raises about child safety and prevention of violent crimes.

In this episode, we talk about one of the darkest consequences of Russia’s war: violence against children committed by former fighters and pardoned convicts. From a knife attack on a sleeping 12-year-old boy in southern Russia to the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl, these cases show how men with violent pasts return from the front and continue to kill. Experts warn that mass pardons, secrecy, and the erasing of criminal records make repeat crimes almost inevitable. This is a story about impunity, silence, and children who paid the highest price.

A shocking tragedy in Stavropol. A nine-year-old girl was mauled to death by a pack of dogs near her home. The animals had long roamed the neighborhood, fed and kept by a local woman despite repeated complaints. Surveillance footage captured the final moments of the attack. This episode explores how negligence, denial, and years of inaction led to a child’s brutal death — and why the danger still remains.

A brutal crime in the Moscow region ends with murder, a heroic act, and suicide. A man kills his former lover in front of her child, brutally stabs a neighbor who tried to save the boy, and then jumps from the 13th floor. At the same time, another family in Moscow narrowly survives a knife attack after a husband mixes alcohol with psychiatric drugs. Two cases that expose the deadly consequences of stalking, untreated mental illness, and domestic violence.
From Russia with Fear — real crimes, real victims, and the warning signs that were ignored.

In Moscow, 46-year-old Alexandra Shalina strangled her five-year-old son with a belt and drowned him in a bathtub. She later told investigators she wanted to “send him to heaven.” As the case unfolded, police discovered disturbing details from her past: false accusations, family conflicts, threats, and signs that she was also preparing to kill her teenage daughter. Investigators believe the motive was her new relationship — and an ultimatum to choose between a man and her children. This episode explores a long chain of violence, manipulation, and obsession that ended in a brutal child murder.

In Yekaterinburg, a mother of four survived a brutal acid attack that investigators say was ordered by her former husband. The assault left her with severe burns and years of recovery ahead. This episode uncovers a story of long-term domestic violence, hired attackers, and a failed attempt to destroy a woman’s life after she chose to leave. Arrests have been made, but the case exposes how revenge, control, and impunity can turn into an attempted murder.