Russia's Wagner Smashes Another Recruit's Head With Sledgehammer For 'Treason': Report

Members of Russia's notorious Wagner Private Military Company (PMC) have released another video showing the execution of another captured defector.

The clip, which was posted on the Wagner-affiliated Telegram channel GREY ZONE on Monday, showed a man believed to be Russian national Dmitry Yakushchenko with his head taped to concrete blocks on a wall. Behind him stood a man wearing camouflage fatigues and holding a sledgehammer.

"I went to the front as part of Wagner Group," Yakushchenko said in the video signed as "trial for treason", as translated by Meduza. "While on the front line, I realized that this isn't my war. Today, I was on the streets of Dnipro, where I was hit in the head and lost consciousness. When I came to, I was in this room—where they told me I was going to be put on trial."

The video then goes blurry as Yakushchenko is apparently struck in the head with a sledgehammer and continues to be beaten even as he collapses to the ground.

Following the release of the video, Wagner's press service published different footage where Yakushchenko who is alive said he had been forgiven by the mercenary group. However, it is unclear whether the video was made before or after his alleged execution.

"In captivity, I talked a lot of sh*t, and I feel very ashamed, but it was the only way to survive. Returning from captivity, I brought plenty of valuable intel that has saved many lives, so I was forgiven, and I am very grateful for that," he said.

This is not the first time the Wagner mercenary group was seen executing a Russian national using a sledgehammer for defecting to Ukraine. In November last year, a video titled, The Hammer of Revenge, showed a man who identified himself as Yevgenny Nuzhin in a similar position. A man wearing combat fatigues was also shown striking Nuzhin's head with a sledgehammer twice.

Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin later appeared to confirm Nuzhin's execution, adding that the video should instead be called, "A dog deserves a dog's death."

Following the release of the video, Wagner also reportedly sent a bloodied sledgehammer to the European Parliament as part of its protest for being labeled a terrorist organization.