Military Radik Bogdanov, who sided with Ukraine and then under unknown circumstances returned to Russia in a prisoner exchange, had his charges reclassified to 'treason'. This is according to the database of the Southern District Military Court, as noted by the project 'Vot Tak'*.
A criminal case against the 54-year-old native of the village of Karmaskaly in Bashkiria was initiated in February 2024, initially for participating in an armed conflict 'against the interests of Russia', he faced 12 to 20 years. Later, the charge was toughened to 'state treason', with a maximum of life imprisonment, and 'attempted murder of several people' was added.
According to the investigation, in the summer of 2023, Bogdanov fought in Donbas in the 'Storm Z' battalion, where he ended up from a colony, serving a sentence for theft. There he surrendered to the Armed Forces of Ukraine and soon joined the Ukrainian volunteer battalion 'Skala', where, according to his words to Ukrainian journalists, he 'assaulted Russian military positions as a machine gunner'. He served in 'Skala' until the end of 2023 and planned to stay in Ukraine. But on January 3, 2024, he was unexpectedly returned to Russia in a prisoner exchange, confirmed by the project 'I Want to Live'. It is unknown how he ended up on the exchange list, considering his service in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
After Bogdanov's return, the FSB and the Center for Combating Extremism of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Bashkiria began an investigation, revealing his service in a volunteer battalion on the side of Ukraine.
Bogdanov has multiple convictions: in 2009 he received 9 years for manslaughter, in 2017 for breaking and entering, and in 2018 and 2021 for thefts.
* Recognized in Russia as a 'foreign agent'.