Putin mercenary, who kept the “skull of a dead Ukrainian” as loot, was shot in the head by an assassin in a recent targeted attack

A Putin mercenary who kept a “skull of a dead Ukrainian soldier” as loot has been gunned down in a targeted attack.

Igor Mangushev was shot in the head and taken to a hospital in Donetsk, Ukraine, where he is reportedly in “serious” condition.

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The blow to the sick Russian propagandist happened in the early hours of January 4th.

Analysts claim the assassination could be a warning for the leader of the Russian mercenary group Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin.

Mangushev, 36, was one of Russia’s most notable TV spindoctors before enlisting in Putin’s army under the nickname Bereg.

Shocking images on social media showed Mangushev lying bloodied on a hospital bed connected to “life support” machines.

Sharing the picture was his friend Boris Rozhkin, who described his condition as “severe”.

According to The Telegraph, doctors concluded he was shot with a handgun at point-blank range.

Further details of the attack cannot be confirmed.

However, Russia expert Mark Galeotti believed Mangushev had significant ties to the Wagner group and it may have been a proxy attack.

Galeotti said: “I think we can safely call this a hit.

“It can be a warning or it can take a pawn off the board.

“Or it’s a sign that Mr. Prigozhin’s more brutal rivals feel he’s weakened enough for them to move.”

In August 2022, Mangushev embarrassed himself by publicly waving the skull of a “dead Ukrainian fighter” during a stage show.

The skull allegedly belonged to a slain militant killed near the Azovstal Steel Plant in Ukraine.

During a speech, the confused Mangushev held up the skull and said: “We are alive and this guy is already dead.

“Let him burn in hell. He wasn’t lucky. We’ll make a goblet out of his skull.”

He scolded, “Why can’t there be reconciliation?

“Ukraine must be de-Ukrainized. The Russian lands of Novorossiya must be returned.

“We are not at war with men of blood and flesh. We are at war with an idea – Ukraine as an anti-Russian state.

“This is the tragedy of the Ukrainian soldiers. We don’t care how many we have to kill them.

“If we were at war with the people, we could make peace with them.”

Mangushev reportedly fights against Ukraine, but is also the leader of the nationalist movement Light Russia and founder of a private army ENOT, which is said to have ties to the FSB.

The human skull chilling performance violates the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and is a war crime under international law.

On his Telegram channel, the twisted Russian has also openly called for the killing of civilians.

His post read: “We will burn down your houses, kill your families, take away your children and raise them to be Russians.”

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