An ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a sledgehammer covered in fake blood to a European Parliament representative after the oligarch's private military company was designated a terrorist organization, according to a social media post.
Wagner Group head Yevgeny Prigozhin on Thursday gave an apparent violin case — which he called "an information case" — containing a sledgehammer covered in fake blood, according to a post on Telegram.
"Today, I held a meeting with the commanders of the Wagner Group, where I informed them of this sad news," Prigozhin is quoted as saying, the Telegram post showed.
"As of today, we have decided to declare the European Parliament dissolved. But before this procedure enters into legal force, I am instructed to submit an information case to the European Parliament."
Earlier this month, a video circulated on social media showing the sledgehammer execution of a Russian soldier who defected to the Ukrainian side. The video was distributed via Telegram channels that Russian media said were linked to the Wagner Group, The Jerusalem Post reported.
The EU Parliament then voted to identify the Wagner group as a terrorist organization.
"I prefer to watch this story in the theatre. As for the executed, in this show it is clear that he did not find happiness in Ukraine, but instead met with unkind, although fair people. It seems to me that this film is called 'The dog receives the dog's death,'" Prigozhin said of the video, according to a Telegram post.
Reuters reported that the victim in the unverified video gave his name as Yevgenny Nuzhin, 55. He said he was abducted in Kyiv on Oct. 11 and awoke in a cellar.
He was shown with his head taped to a brick wall.
"I got hit over the head and lost consciousness and came around in this cellar," he said. "They told me I was to be tried."
As he said those words, an unidentified man loitering in combat clothing behind Nuzhin, smashed a sledgehammer into the side of his head and neck.
Nuzhin collapsed onto the floor and the unidentified man delivered another blow to his head.
In February, The Times of London reported that the Wagner Group had flown in more than 400 mercenaries to Ukraine with their focus being the killing of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Nearly nine months later, Zelenskyy continues to lead his country's response to Russia's unprovoked attack.
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.