Hero of Russia Irek Magasumov was sentenced to 11 years in prison for the murder of an 18-year-old girl.

The military court of the so-called "LPR" stripped Magasumov of the title of "Hero of Russia," which Vladimir Putin awarded him in August 2023, but retained his military rank and three Orders of Courage.

According to the convicted man's lawyer, Konstantin Elfimov, the decision to appeal the verdict is still being discussed. Retaining his military rank allows the convicted man to continue fighting in the war with Ukraine as an officer.

Previously "NeMoscow" WroteThe crime took place in August 2023, when Magasumov was relaxing in a Luhansk bar with his subordinates. There, the lieutenant colonel was celebrating the Gold Star of the Hero of Russia medal, which Putin had awarded him nine days earlier. 

At the bar, the officers met two women. One of them allegedly asked to shoot Magasumov's pistol. Investigators later determined that she fired two shots at bottles scattered on the ground, and for some reason, the third hit her in the chest. The bullet pierced her aorta, and she died from internal bleeding. However, her friend told investigators that Irek Magasumov had shot her. 

As Kommersant reported, investigators had previously planned to reclassify the "intentional murder" charge as a lesser offense under the Russian Criminal Code—causing death by negligence. Instead, the combat officer was charged not only with murder but also with hooliganism. According to investigators, after killing the girl, he got into a conflict with a junior officer, stealing his car.