A former russian serviceman who took part in the full-scale invasion of Ukraine and is suspected of committing war crimes is set to run for the State Duma on the United russia party list.

Who is the suspect

Nursultan Serkbayevich Mussagaleyev (born June 25, 1995) served as commander of a reconnaissance platoon in the 1st Battalion Tactical Group of the 104th Guards Air Assault Regiment of the 76th Guards Air Assault Division of russia's Airborne Forces.

Between February 24 and April 2, 2022, Mussagaleyev and his unit took part in the occupation of Bucha district in Kyiv Oblast, including the villages of Zabuchchia, Dmytrivka and Mykhailivka on the western outskirts of Kyiv.

On March 12, 2022, at a checkpoint near a KLO gas station, he and his subordinates detained a 29-year-old local resident who was driving through the area. The reason was photographs of construction materials found on the man's mobile phone. The occupiers concluded that he was assisting the Armed Forces of Ukraine in building fortifications near Kyiv.

The victim was taken to a forested area near the village of Dmytrivka, where he was brutally tortured over an extended period. He was then shot dead on Mussagaleyev's orders, and his body was left at the scene.

After russian forces withdrew from Kyiv Oblast, the country's military and political leadership awarded Mussagaleyev the title of Hero of russia and the Medal "For Combat Distinction."

Elections

In February 2025, Mussagaleyev became acting deputy minister of regional and information policy of Orenburg Oblast, and in March he was appointed head of the Novosergiyevsky District.

At the end of May, Orenburg Oblast Governor Yevgeny Solntsev endorsed Mussagaleyev's candidacy for the State Duma. On June 1, it became known that the occupier had successfully passed the so-called United russia party primaries in Orenburg Oblast, finishing second and securing a place on the party's regional list, according to the media outlet Agentstvo.