Pavel Shuvalov had only been due for release in 2045 (Picture: EAST2WEST)
A notorious Russian murderer and serial rapist freed from prison 20 years early to fight in Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine has been killed after just three weeks on the frontline.
Pavel Shuvalov, 55, was dubbed ‘The Tulun Maniac’ after killing two people and carrying out sex attacks on up to 27 other women and girls.
He was expected to remain behind bars until 2045 but was among thousands of inmates offered the chance of freedom in return for serving in some of the most dangerous battles in Ukraine.
It has now emerged Shuvalov died fighting in occupied Luhansk, with military sources saying his body ‘could not be recovered’.
Shuvalov’s reign of terror in Tulan in Russia’s south east Irkutsk region, stretched back to 1992.
Investigators said the 24-stone bulldozer driver often ‘fell asleep, snoring, on top of his trapped victims’, who reported how he reeked of diesel.
One detective, Evgeny Karchevsky, said: ‘It was impossible to break free from under this bulk.’
A victim of Shuvalov, Valentina Danilova, who waived her anonymity, said: ‘He attacked me and my cousin from behind, with a knife.
‘It was over 17 years ago, but I still remember everything so clearly. At first I tried to escape, but cut myself on a knife, blood flowed down my clothes and leg.
‘I realised that it was too dangerous, and I stopped trying to run. He took us to a maternity hospital building site by the road, threw his jacket on the floor and tormented us for several hours.
‘I lost my voice screaming but no one came to help. I managed to escape to get help when he fell asleep on top of my cousin.’
Shuvalov was convicted in 2021 (Picture: social media/e2w)
Another, identified only as Victim Number 8, said Shuvalov should have faced castration.
‘Give him to me now and I would castrate him myself,” she said at the time of his conviction.
‘Honestly, my hands won’t shake. So many years have passed and I have always had this desire.’
Shuvalov reportedly remained free for so long due to a series of police blunders.
More: Trending
Some 15,000 men were subjected to genetic tests during the investigation. In all, around 3,000 men were interrogated before the suspect was held.
Shuvalov was convicted for double murder and two specimen charges of rape, and sentenced to 24 years in jail.
Follow Metro on WhatsApp to be the first to get all the latest news
Want to be the first to hear the world’s top stories? Metro.co.uk is now on WhatsApp sending vital updates and top trending stories straight to your phone.
Follow us to receive the latest news updates from Metro (Picture: Getty Images)
Join the Metro WhatsApp community now for breaking news, juicy showbiz stories and must-watch videos from across our website.
Simply click on this link and select ‘Join Chat’. Don’t forget to turn on notifications so you’ll always be the first to hear the latest!
His ‘shocked’ adult son said after the verdict: ‘I don’t believe that my father could lead a double life.’
His daughter in law told Komsomolskaya Pravda: ‘He is a kind, sweet man.
‘Don’t you think his wife would have suspected something if he was committing crimes?’
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.