Controversy in Severodvinsk: Ex‑inmate leads youth trainings
The military-sports club "Specnaz" in Severodvinsk (Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia) conducts training sessions for youth and promotes them online. Russian media have discovered that one of the instructors has a criminal past; he was convicted of drug trafficking.
The administration of the military-sports club "Specnaz" in Severodvinsk claims that many individuals are naive and think that war won't touch them. They believe a major conflict involving the entire NATO alliance is unavoidable. They criticize passive media consumption and instead encourage people to study military matters and get ready. They commend the training sessions for children and teenagers led by Wagner affiliate Konstantin Khozyaykin in this context.
The media found that a man with the same first and last name was sentenced in 2019 to seven years in prison for drug trafficking, and in November 2024 to ten months of community service for stealing a television and an electric kettle.
The club denies the media findings
That's not all. In 2020, Khozyaykin sued the authorities of Severodvinsk, seeking about 34,000 CAD in compensation for the lack of social support after leaving the orphanage. He claimed that due to the lack of assistance, he was forced to lead an antisocial lifestyle, which led to his imprisonment. His lawsuit was dismissed.
Valentin Tabachny, the manager of the "Specnaz" club, told one of the outlets that he is unaware of Khozyaykin's criminal past. "According to our information, none of our instructors or trainees have convictions. Everyone working with children must provide a certificate of no criminal record," said Tabachny, adding that he doesn't intend to check Khozyaykin's past because he's known him for years.
