In Chechnya, contract soldier, who shot and killed officer, sentenced

Alexander Goryainov, a soldier of a unit of the internal troops of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), accused of killing his colleague, was sentenced by the Military Court in Chechnya to eight years of imprisonment. The crime was committed in November 2012.

The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told at the Republic's Military Commandant's Office that on April 29, the Garrison Military Court of Grozny pronounced the verdict to Alexander Goryainov, a contract soldier of the military unit 6795 of the Russian MIA's internal troops, who was accused of wilful killing of his colleague.

"Investigators revealed that at night of last November 26, soldier Alexander Goryainov, while on duty, drank alcoholic beverages and then, being in a state of alcoholic intoxication, shot from a service pistol at a residential house located in the territory of the military unit. Being on duty in the military unit, Senior Lieutenant Alexander Stepantsov, accompanied by a sentry from the headquarters, inspected the territory, heard the shots and arrived on the place. Then, he demanded the drunken soldier to explain the situation and took a step toward him. In reply, Alexander Goryainov shot at the officer," a staff member of the Commandant's Office.

According to the source, Senior Lieutenant Alexander Stepantsov got a gunshot wound to his abdomen and died in place from the wound. His killer was detained by the arrived squad.

"Alexander Goryainov fully admitted his guilt in committing the crime. He was sentenced to eight years of imprisonment for committing the crime," said the source. He could not answer the question whether the defence would challenge the verdict pronounced to the soldier.