Ex-Convict Soldier on the Run After Suspected Shooting in Volgograd Region

Law enforcement officials in the southern Volgograd region have initiated a search operation for a former prison inmate who enlisted in the military and is now a suspect in the shooting of two individuals, local media reported on Monday.

Authorities have issued a wanted poster and description for 34-year-old Maxim Valkovich, who faces allegations of shooting and injuring two people in the town of Petrov Val on Sunday.

So far, law enforcement agencies have refrained from commenting on both the shooting and the ongoing search. Representatives from the Interior Ministry and the Investigative Committee informed local news outlet V1.ru that the search is not within their jurisdiction, while military investigators chose to remain silent.

The news outlet shared images from witnesses showing military police patrolling the streets of Petrov Val, and spoke with residents who reported seeing “numerous” police vehicles in the area.

A former classmate of Valkovich disclosed to V1.ru that the incident was triggered by a quarrel over alleged cheating.

“He has a wife and child here. She started seeing another man, and he [Valkovich] arranged to confront him,” the classmate stated. “The man didn’t come, but his friends did, and [Valkovich] shot them before fleeing.”

The Moscow Times could not independently verify these statements.

An unconfirmed video shared by the Telegram news channel Baza, which has connections with law enforcement, depicted the alleged victims—a pair of young men named Artyom and Shamil—lying in an open field, bloodied.

Valkovich had spent over nine years in prison on charges including manslaughter, robbery, and extortion. He was released in 2020 and reportedly spent an additional two years under administrative supervision.

According to the Telegram channel Ostorozhno Novosti, citing family sources, Valkovich signed a contract to serve as a volunteer soldier in 2023. The report confirmed that he has a wife and a young child but did not address the allegations of infidelity.