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Vadim Nikolayevich Krasikov ( ; born 10 August 1965) is a Russian security service hitman who was sentenced to life imprisonment in Germany for the Wetwork of 40-year-old Zelimkhan Khangoshvili in Berlin, Germany, on 23 August 2019. On 1 August 2024, he returned to Russia after a prisoner exchange between Russia and the West. One of the prisoners involved in the exchange for Krasikov, Ilya Yashin, would condemn the fact that he was specifically freed in exchange for him due to Krasikov originally being sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Khangoshvili.
Previously, Krasikov was a suspect in two murders: in the 4 April 2007 murder by three people of the businessman and local politician Yuri Kozlov () who was shot near his home in Kostomuksha, Republic of Karelia, while he was getting out of his car; and in the 19 June 2013 murder in Moscow of Albert Nazranov () who was from Kabardino-Balkaria. After killing Kozlov, the criminals went to the river to throw away evidence and were spotted by witnesses. Recorded by CCTV, the murder of Nazranov was by an assailant who wore a cap and a black tracksuit and approached Nazranov by bicycle; however, upon seeing him, Nazranov pushed the assailant away and ran away, but was killed by the assailant with a pistol from close range with one shot to the chest and one to the head after the assailant caught up with Nazranov by bicycle. A few minutes later, the assailant fled the scene by bicycle. In 2014, Krasikov was arrested by Russian authorities on suspicion of the Nazarov murder and he along with both Vladimir Fomenko and Oleg Ivanov also were arrested by Russian authorities on suspicion of the Kozlov murder. None of them were known to be convicted of any offence.
On 3 September 2015, Krasikov received an internal Russian passport with the name Vadim Andreevich Sokolov () and Sokolov's entry in the Russian federal passport database accessible to law enforcement denotes that Sokolov is under state protection which is similar to the notes in the database for suspected Russian GRU officers "Boshirov" and "Petrov" who allegedly were involved in the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal.
After stalking and shooting Khangoshvili in Kleiner Tiergarten Park, Krasikov threw his bicycle, pistol, and a bag containing his disguise into the Spree River. Witnesses called the police, who detained him. Then investigators found his fingerprints on some of the items retrieved by police divers. Krasikov denied the killing, saying that he was a tourist named Vadim A. Sokolov, the name on his Russian passport. His real identity was finally established using photographs that showed his distinctive tattoos. German prosecutors indicated that Krasikov worked for the Russian Federal Security Service, who gave him a false identity, a passport, and the resources for the assassination.
According to bellingcat, Evgeny Eroshkin is allegedly Krasikov's FSB handler.
On 2 August 2024, Dmitri Peskov confirmed Vadim Krasikov is a Spetsnaz FSB officer, had served in the Alpha Group as a bodyguard of Vladimir Putin (), frequently visited the FSB Anti-Terrorist Directorate on Vernadsky Avenue in Moscow, and had trained at the FSB special forces base "Vympel" before he left Russia to assassinate Khangoshvili.
Krasikov married his second wife Ekaterina Aleksandrovna (née Lycheva) Krasikova (; born 1985, Kharkiv, Ukrainian SSR) in 2010. They have a daughter born 2013.
Personal life
From 12 December 1989 until 27 January 2004, Krasikov was married to Tatyana Ivanovna (née Paramonova) Krasikova (; born 1966, Tygda, Magdagachinsky District, Amur Oblast). They have two children: a son Maxim Vadimovich Krasikov (born 1985) and daughter Kristina Antanyan (née Krasikova, born 1988).
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