Russia's 'chessboard killer' Alexander Pichushkin poised to confess to 11 more murders, officials say
Alexander Pichushkin, now 50 years old, targeted his victims - many of them homeless, alcoholics or elderly - around Bitsevsky Park in Moscow.
His killing spree lasted from 1992 to 2006, and he was then tried and jailed in 2007.
Russian media nicknamed him the "chessboard killer" because he told detectives he had planned to place a coin on every square of a 64-square chessboard for each of his victims.
The serial killer has been detained in a remote prison in Russia's Arctic, the Polar Owl prison, since being sentenced.
He has long been suspected of killing more people than the 48 for whose murders he has already been convicted.
Now he has told investigators he is prepared to confess to 11 further killings of men and women, Russia's prison system said in a statement on the Telegram messenger app on Saturday.
During his previous trial, he claimed to have killed 63 people, but he was only charged with 48 murders and three attempted murders.
Should he be convicted of the 11 additional murders, he would become Russia's second most prolific serial killer on record.
Mikhail Popkov, a former policeman, was convicted of 78 murders.
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Tens of thousands flee their homes as Thailand and Cambodia clash
SURIN, Thailand -- Tens of thousands of people sought refuge on Friday as border fighting between Thailand and Cambodia entered a second day, heightening fears of a broader conflict. The U.N. Security Council is scheduled to hold an emergency meeting on the crisis later Friday in New York, while Malaysia, which chairs a regional bloc that includes both countries, called for an end to hostilities and offered to mediate. The Health Ministry on Friday said more than 58,000 have fled from villages to temporary shelters in four affected Thai border provinces, while Cambodian authorities said more than 4,000 people have evacuated from areas near the border. The fighting has killed at least 14 people in Thailand, while Cambodia confirmed its first fatality on Friday. Tensions over a disputed border area erupted into fighting after a land mine explosion along the border on wounded five Thai soldiers on Wednesday. The Thai military reported clashes early Friday in multiple areas, including along the border at Chong Bok and Phu Makhuea in Thailand's Ubon Ratchathani province, at Phanom Dong Rak in Surin province, and near the ancient Ta Muen Thom temple. Associated Press reporters near the border could hear sounds of artillery from early morning hours. The Thai army said Cambodian forces had used heavy artillery and Russian-made BM-21 rocket launchers, prompting what Thai officials described as 'appropriate supporting fire' in return. Thailand said one soldier and 13 civilians were killed, including children, while 15 soldiers and 30 civilians were wounded. Cambodia's chief official in Oddar Meanchey province, Gen. Khov Ly, said a man died instantly Thurday after a Thai rocket hit a Buddhist pagoda where he was hiding. At least four civilians were also wounded in Thursday's fighting there. Thailand's army on Friday denied it targeted civilian sites in Cambodia, and accused Cambodia of using 'human shields' by positioning their weapons near residential areas. As the fighting intensified, villagers on both sides have been caught in the crossfire, leading many to flee. Around 600 people took shelter at a gymnasium in a university in Surin, Thailand, about 80 kilometers from the border. Evacuees sat in groups, on mats and blankets, and queued for food and drinks. Seamstress Pornpan Sooksai was accompanied by four cats in two fabric cages. She said she was doing laundry at her home near Ta Muen Thom temple when shelling began Thursday. 'I just heard, boom, boom. We already prepared the cages, clothes and everything, so we ran and carried our things to the car. I was frightened, scared,' she recalled. Rattana Meeying, another evacuee, said she had also lived through the 2011 clashes between the two countries but described this flare-up as worse. 'Children, old people, were hit out of the blue," she said. 'I never imagined it would be this violent.' At the nearby Phanom Dong Rak hospital, periodic explosions could be heard Friday, and a military truck arrived with three injured Thai soldiers, including one who had both legs severed. Thursday's shelling shattered windows at one of the hospital's buildings and damaged its roof. In the neighboring Sisaket province, more villagers took their belongings and left homes in a stream of cars, trucks and motorbikes after they received an evacuation order on Friday. Across the border in Cambodia, villages on the outskirts of Oddar Meanchey province were largely deserted. Homes stood locked, while chickens and dogs roamed outside. Some villagers earlier dug holes to create makeshift underground bunkers, covering them with wood, tarpaulin and zinc sheets to shield themselves from shelling. Families with children were seen packing their belongings on home-made tractors to evacuate, though a few men refused to leave. Several hundred Cambodian villagers have evacuated to a remote Buddhist temple surrounded by rice fields. Women rest in hammocks, some cradle babies, while children run about. Makeshift plastic tents are being set up under the trees. Veng Chin, 74, pleaded with both governments to negotiate a settlement 'so that I can return to my home and work on the farm.' The conflict marks a rare instance of armed confrontation between member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nation, though Thailand has tangled with Cambodia before over the border and has had sporadic skirmishes with western neighbor Myanmar. Malaysia, the current ASEAN chair, expressed concern. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Thursday he spoke to both Cambodian leader Hun Manet and Thai Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai and urged them to open space for 'peaceful dialogue and diplomatic resolution.' Malaysia is willing to facilitate talks, he said. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has also called for restraint and urged both countries to resolve disputes through dialogue, according to U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq. Border tensions between the two nations are not new. Their 800-kilometer (500-mile) frontier has been disputed for decades, with past confrontations typically limited and brief. The last major flare-up in 2011 left 20 dead. The current tensions broke out in May when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a confrontation. The two countries said afterwards they agreed to de-escalate the situation, but both continued to implement or threaten measures including trade and travel restrictions, keeping tensions high. But things got worse when a land mine wounded five Thai soldiers on Wednesday. That led Bangkok to withdraw its ambassador from Cambodia and expel Cambodia's envoy to Thailand. Thailand also sealed all land border crossings and urged its citizens to leave Cambodia. Officials said all seven Thai airlines were willing to help evacuate nationals. Cambodia retaliated by downgrading diplomatic ties and recalling all Cambodian staff from its embassy in Bangkok. On Thursday, clashes broke out along the border. Both militaries accused the other of using drones before escalating to artillery and rockets. Thailand said it responded with airstrikes after Cambodian forces launched truck-mounted rockets. The Thai air force said F-16 jets carried out two bombing runs on Cambodian positions. Cambodia claimed those bombs landed near the Preah Vihear temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site that has been at the center of past disputes. Authorities in Phnom Penh released photos they said showed damage to the site and pledged to seek international justice. The border dispute has also roiled Thailand's domestic politics. Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, under scrutiny over a phone call with Cambodia's former Prime Minister Hun Sen, still a power broker in his country, was suspended from office on July 1 pending an investigation into possible ethics violations over the matter.
Hamilton Spectator
2 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Tens of thousands flee their homes as Thailand and Cambodia clash
SURIN, Thailand (AP) — Tens of thousands of people sought refuge on Friday as border fighting between Thailand and Cambodia entered a second day, heightening fears of a broader conflict. The U.N. Security Council is scheduled to hold an emergency meeting on the crisis later Friday in New York, while Malaysia, which chairs a regional bloc that includes both countries, called for an end to hostilities and offered to mediate. The Health Ministry on Friday said more than 58,000 have fled from villages to temporary shelters in four affected Thai border provinces, while Cambodian authorities said more than 4,000 people have evacuated from areas near the border. The fighting has killed at least 14 people in Thailand, while Cambodia confirmed its first fatality on Friday. Tensions over a disputed border area erupted into fighting after a land mine explosion along the border on wounded five Thai soldiers on Wednesday. Clashes break out across border areas The Thai military reported clashes early Friday in multiple areas, including along the border at Chong Bok and Phu Makhuea in Thailand's Ubon Ratchathani province, at Phanom Dong Rak in Surin province, and near the ancient Ta Muen Thom temple. Associated Press reporters near the border could hear sounds of artillery from early morning hours. The Thai army said Cambodian forces had used heavy artillery and Russian-made BM-21 rocket launchers, prompting what Thai officials described as 'appropriate supporting fire' in return. Thailand said one soldier and 13 civilians were killed, including children, while 15 soldiers and 30 civilians were wounded. Cambodia's chief official in Oddar Meanchey province, Gen. Khov Ly, said a man died instantly Thurday after a Thai rocket hit a Buddhist pagoda where he was hiding. At least four civilians were also wounded in Thursday's fighting there. Thailand's army on Friday denied it targeted civilian sites in Cambodia, and accused Cambodia of using 'human shields' by positioning their weapons near residential areas. Thousands flee villages near the border As the fighting intensified, villagers on both sides have been caught in the crossfire, leading many to flee. Around 600 people took shelter at a gymnasium in a university in Surin, Thailand, about 80 kilometers from the border. Evacuees sat in groups, on mats and blankets, and queued for food and drinks. Seamstress Pornpan Sooksai was accompanied by four cats in two fabric cages. She said she was doing laundry at her home near Ta Muen Thom temple when shelling began Thursday. 'I just heard, boom, boom. We already prepared the cages, clothes and everything, so we ran and carried our things to the car. I was frightened, scared,' she recalled. Rattana Meeying, another evacuee, said she had also lived through the 2011 clashes between the two countries but described this flare-up as worse. 'Children, old people, were hit out of the blue,' she said. 'I never imagined it would be this violent.' At the nearby Phanom Dong Rak hospital, periodic explosions could be heard Friday, and a military truck arrived with three injured Thai soldiers, including one who had both legs severed. Thursday's shelling shattered windows at one of the hospital's buildings and damaged its roof. In the neighboring Sisaket province, more villagers took their belongings and left homes in a stream of cars, trucks and motorbikes after they received an evacuation order on Friday. Across the border in Cambodia, villages on the outskirts of Oddar Meanchey province were largely deserted. Homes stood locked, while chickens and dogs roamed outside. Some villagers earlier dug holes to create makeshift underground bunkers, covering them with wood, tarpaulin and zinc sheets to shield themselves from shelling. Families with children were seen packing their belongings on home-made tractors to evacuate, though a few men refused to leave. Several hundred Cambodian villagers have evacuated to a remote Buddhist temple surrounded by rice fields. Women rest in hammocks, some cradle babies, while children run about. Makeshift plastic tents are being set up under the trees. Veng Chin, 74, pleaded with both governments to negotiate a settlement 'so that I can return to my home and work on the farm.' ASEAN chair calls for calm The conflict marks a rare instance of armed confrontation between member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nation , though Thailand has tangled with Cambodia before over the border and has had sporadic skirmishes with western neighbor Myanmar. Malaysia, the current ASEAN chair, expressed concern. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Thursday he spoke to both Cambodian leader Hun Manet and Thai Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai and urged them to open space for 'peaceful dialogue and diplomatic resolution.' Malaysia is willing to facilitate talks, he said. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has also called for restraint and urged both countries to resolve disputes through dialogue, according to U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq. A longstanding border problem Border tensions between the two nations are not new. Their 800-kilometer (500-mile) frontier has been disputed for decades, with past confrontations typically limited and brief. The last major flare-up in 2011 left 20 dead. The current tensions broke out in May when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a confrontation. The two countries said afterwards they agreed to de-escalate the situation, but both continued to implement or threaten measures including trade and travel restrictions, keeping tensions high. But things got worse when a land mine wounded five Thai soldiers on Wednesday. That led Bangkok to withdraw its ambassador from Cambodia and expel Cambodia's envoy to Thailand. Thailand also sealed all land border crossings and urged its citizens to leave Cambodia. Officials said all seven Thai airlines were willing to help evacuate nationals. Cambodia retaliated by downgrading diplomatic ties and recalling all Cambodian staff from its embassy in Bangkok. On Thursday, clashes broke out along the border. Both militaries accused the other of using drones before escalating to artillery and rockets. Thailand said it responded with airstrikes after Cambodian forces launched truck-mounted rockets. The Thai air force said F-16 jets carried out two bombing runs on Cambodian positions. Cambodia claimed those bombs landed near the Preah Vihear temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site that has been at the center of past disputes. Authorities in Phnom Penh released photos they said showed damage to the site and pledged to seek international justice. The border dispute has also roiled Thailand's domestic politics . Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, under scrutiny over a phone call with Cambodia's former Prime Minister Hun Sen , still a power broker in his country, was suspended from office on July 1 pending an investigation into possible ethics violations over the matter. ___ Cheang reported from Oddar Meanchey Province, Cambodia. Associated Press writer Eileen Ng in Kuala Lumpur contributed to this report. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Washington Post
2 hours ago
- Washington Post
A minister's death tells Russia's elite it is no longer untouchable
The apparent suicide of a high-ranking Russian official has sent an alarming signal to the country's political elite about the profound wartime changes to the political system under the guise of a vigorous anti-corruption campaign. In the first case of its kind in decades, Roman Starovoit, the governor of the Kursk region for five years, was found dead this month in a suburb of Moscow. Russian media reported that he was under investigation for corruption surrounding the construction of fortifications along the border with Ukraine, sparking broad speculation he may have viewed death as a better fate than arrest. His demise suggests that something fundamental inside the Kremlin's machinery has shifted. Just a few years ago, governor-level officials caught in the crosshairs of major corruption cases were able to flee the country relatively unscathed. But the traditional exits once available to embattled officials — resignation, reassignment or a hushed emigration — are rapidly disappearing, as the roster of offenses that the regime interprets as threatening state security grows. 'A new feature of the Russian regime, which had taken shape over three and a half years of war, has manifested itself,' said Tatiana Stanovaya, head of the think tank 'It's kind of a black zone of political responsibility: Any activity or inactivity that, in the view of authorities, increases the vulnerability of the state to hostile actions of the enemy, must be mercilessly and uncompromisingly punished.' In the past year, special services have launched investigations into five former heads of Russian regions, a number unheard of in modern-day Russia, where high-ranking officials usually enjoyed lenient punishments if they strayed. Scores of lower-level officials have also been engulfed in a wider crackdown on graft. Corruption has long thrived in Russia beneath a veil of loyalty. President Vladimir Putin had long refrained from engaging in anti-corruption campaigns, maintaining a passive role in public investigations and delegating it to courts and law enforcement. Before the war in Ukraine, few federal-level officials or ministers were put behind bars on corruption charges. In the two most notable cases, former defense minister Anatoly Serdyukov nearly escaped jail time in 2013, and in 2016, former economy minister Alexei Ulyukayev was sentenced to eight years in prison for taking a bribe from a top state oil company executive. Ulyukayev maintained that he was set up but served time and was released in 2022. With the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the stakes have become much higher and the arrests of officials have become more frequent — though still rarely at the ministerial level. This changed in 2024, when in the wake of battlefield setbacks, security forces went after the inner circle of former defense minister Sergei Shoigu, especially those overseeing military contracting and logistics, prime sectors for graft and mismanagement. Shoigu has been replaced by a technocrat-like Andrei Belousov and moved to a largely ceremonial role of secretary of the Security Council of Russia. Timur Ivanov, Shoigu's longtime deputy who oversaw construction and logistics, was sentenced in July to 13 years in a penal colony for embezzling nearly $50 million. Lt. Gen. Yuri Kuznetsov, head of the General Staff's personnel directorate, was arrested in May 2024 after investigators discovered more than $1.2 million in cash and gold in his home. Lt. Gen. Vadim Shamarin, who led the military's communications division, was arrested that same month on large-scale bribery charges, marking the fourth senior military official to be detained in just a few weeks. Yet, Starovoit's death in particular is a 'turning point for the ruling elite even if it remains an isolated case,' said Russia expert Alexander Baunov. Just hours before his death became public, Putin had signed a decree dismissing Starovoit from his post as transportation minister, a position he held since spring 2024 following his departure from Kursk. Though he left just before the Ukrainian incursion, Starovoit was the governor of Kursk during the war on Ukraine. Together with his counterparts in the neighboring regions of Bryansk and Belgorod, he was tasked with building fortifications meant to deter Ukrainian forces from entering Russia: trenches, firing positions and the so-called dragon's teeth, pyramid-shaped obstacles made out of reinforced concrete that are intended to stop or at least impede enemy tanks and vehicles. Ukraine's surprise breach of these defenses last year and subsequent seven-month occupation of parts of Kursk have set off investigations, including allegations that nearly $13 million meant for the project was embezzled. Local media has reported that the dragon's teeth were of questionable quality and eroded due to rain and snow. Starovoit's former deputy and successor, Alexei Smirnov, did not last a year in the job — he resigned in December and was arrested as part of this investigation in April. According to the Russian business daily Kommersant, high-ranking employees of a company that built the fortifications, which is also under investigation, testified that they paid up to 15 percent kickbacks to the former governor and his deputy. Smirnov, the paper reported, also testified against Starovoit. The precise circumstances of Starovoit's death remain unclear. In a dark twist, it was reported that his body was discovered in his Tesla, with a Glock handgun beside him — a weapon awarded to him in 2023 for 'outstanding service in ensuring the safety of citizens.' The Investigative Committee, the country's main investigative body, said suicide was its main line of inquiry, but some military bloggers and pro-Kremlin commentators cast doubt on the theory. 'It seems to me that those who eliminated him — those against whom he could have testified after his arrest — are trying to hide his real murder behind the suicide version,' said pro-Kremlin political analyst Sergei Markov. Starovoit's case also drew comparisons to the fates of associates of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin — commissar for heavy industry Sergo Ordzhonikidze and commissar for the aviation industry Mikhail Kaganovich — who died by suicide during or immediately after the Great Purge of the late 1930s to avoid arrest and shield their families from persecution. In 2023, Putin dismissed a question from a reporter asking whether Russia was now in 1937, the height of Stalin's purges. 'We are in 2023, and the Russian Federation is in a state of armed conflict with its neighbor. I think that there should be a certain attitude toward those people who cause certain damage inside the country,' Putin said in response. Baunov argued that Putin's assertion reflected an informal post-Khrushchev rule within the elite, where death was reserved for treacherous spies and defectors. But now that category had widened, and death was reaching into the ranks of high-level officials once considered protected. The murder 'version will not seem so incredible to officials. No matter how much the investigators will repeat it is a suicide, they will believe their own fears more,' he said. Two officials from the neighboring Belgorod region, a staging site for Russian attacks into Ukraine, have also been arrested this summer on similar accusations. This week, deputy governor of the Bryansk region was arrested on suspicion of abuse of power. Now officials from three of Russia's border regions with Ukraine have been implicated in corruption over building defensive structures. 'Starovoit's death shows how much the pressure has grown within a system from which there is no escape. A senior position, demonstrative loyalty, and even a track record of working toward the war effort are no longer enough to provide protection,' Alexandra Prokopenko, a fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, said in a recent analysis.
