A notorious underworld criminal released from prison by Vladimir Putin to fight for Russia in the war in Ukraine has been put to death after trying to desert his country, reports claim.
Zaur Aliyev, 47, was one-third of the way through an 18-year sentence when was accepted as a fighter.
He got his sentence ripped up under a controversial scheme that sees murderers, hardened convicts as well as other inmates go free to sign up and go into battle.
