The father of a conscripted soldier, named Ramil Shamsutdinov, who served time in a harsh penal environment after a deadly incident in Trans-Baikal, has not been made aware of his son’s purported request to join the Wagner Private Military Company. This detail was shared with socialbites.ca by Salim Shamsutdinov, who spoke about how little information has reached him about the situation.
“I don’t know much. You’re not the first person to ask. Sometimes he calls. I’ve heard they took him there, but I don’t know for sure. I haven’t heard anything directly from him,” he said.
Claims circulating on a Telegram channel and from people tied to the Wagner PMC allege that Ramil Shamsutdinov volunteered when the group arrived at Tyumen Penal Colony No. 2. Those accounts also indicated that he was not deployed immediately, with sources describing him as being kept on standby rather than being assigned at once.
The timeline stretches back to October 25, 2019, when a soldier in the Trans-Baikal unit opened fire, resulting in the deaths of two officers and six fellow soldiers, with two more wounded. The soldier later described facing harassment and coercion, which he framed as the trigger for his violent act. This sequence has sparked ongoing discussion about the conditions and pressures faced by service members in such settings.
On January 21, 2021, the court handed down a verdict sentencing Shamsutdinov to 24.5 years in a strict-regime penal colony. The judgment also partially satisfied the victims’ claims, totaling 9.8 million rubles. By June of that year, he had been moved to a breeding colony in Tyumen as part of the continuing legal and penal process. [Citation: Telegram channels and associated representatives connected to the Wagner PMC provided these claims; attribution noted as reported]
As the case remains a reference point for discussions about military service, punishment, and the fate of those involved in high-profile incidents, observers stress the importance of clear information and verified updates from official channels. The breadth of the story—from the original incident in 2019 to the subsequent legal proceedings and rumored connections—highlights how quickly narratives can spread and the demand for transparency from families, authorities, and the media. [Citation: Court records and official disclosures regarding sentencing and transfers]