A member of the "SVO" group assaulted an elderly couple under the windows of a five-story building. That same morning, he spoke at a "courage lesson" at a school.
В Saratov The garrison court began hearing the criminal case against the junior lieutenant Dmitry Kiryukhina, a mobilized serviceman of military unit 29598. A NeMoskva correspondent attended the court hearing.
In November 2023, Kiryukhin came to his native city on vacation. Atkarsk (regional center in Saratov area) and near the entrance of a five-story building he attacked an elderly couple who were returning from the store with purchases. Irina и Oleg Matasovs received closed skull fractures and brain contusions.
As Irina Matasova recounts, she and the Kiryukhins lived in the same building. The families had good neighborly relations. Dmitry Kiryukhin previously served in the transport police. He served four contract tours in Syria and received the Medal for Military Valor. In September 2022, he was mobilized with the rank of senior sergeant. Within a year of serving in the SVO, he rose to the rank of officer. In early November 2023, the junior lieutenant returned home on leave.
On the morning of November 14, Kiryukhin spoke at School No. 6, where he once studied. "During a courage lesson, students in grades 6-10 learned firsthand about military life and combat missions," the district administration reported on social media.
In the evening, around 9:00 p.m., near his home on Sovetskaya Street, Kiryukhin met 63-year-old Oleg Matasov, who was returning from the store with groceries.
"Hi, Dima!" Oleg said to his neighbor. Kiryukhin responded by lashing out at him with obscenities, demanding, "You need to speak to me with respect! That's what I want! I'm your boss!"
Irina Matasova, who entered the courtyard later, attempted to stop her neighbor. The woman can be heard screaming on surveillance camera footage: "Dima, stop it, what are you doing, it's me!"However, Kiryukhin continues to beat the victims already lying on the ground.
The footage of the beating lasts over nine minutes. Taking advantage of the aggressor's distraction, Irina Anatolyevna managed to drag her husband into the entryway.
"Many neighbors stood on their balconies but did nothing, didn't even call the police, even though the station is across the street," says Matasova. "When the police finally arrived, the investigator asked, 'Do you have any witnesses?' I ran from apartment to apartment, knocking and ringing the bell. But everyone locked themselves in, even the curtains were drawn."
A criminal case against Dmitry Kiryukhin was opened under Article 105 of the Criminal Code, "Attempted Murder." By the time the case was submitted to court, the charges had been significantly reduced. The soldier is now accused of hooliganism, violence, and insulting a government official (Kiryukhin attempted to strangle and cursed the police officers who detained him).
The victims fear that he will take advantage of a new law that allows him to replace a prison sentence with a contract with the Ministry of Defense. "I want him to go to jail," says Irina Matasova. "We can't allow him to go to the North Military District and then return to Atkarsk six months later, convinced of his impunity."