A Russian rapper killed himself to avoid being drafted to fight in Vladimir Putin's barbaric war in Ukraine amid an exodus sparked by the Kremlin dictator's chaotic partial mobilization as thousands of Russian men, women and children flee across the border into neighboring countries.
Ivan Vitalievich Petunin, known by the stage name Walkie, is believed to have committed suicide today in the southern Russian city of Krasnodar.
His body was found near a high-rise building on Congressnaya Street after the 27-year-old musician recorded a video message published on his Telegram channel in which he said he did not want to kill for any ideal.
Petunin, who previously served in the Russian army and was treated in a mental hospital, told his fans: If you are watching this video, then I am no longer alive. I can't take the sin of murder into my soul and I don't want to. I am not ready to kill for any ideal.
More than 194,000 Russian citizens have fled to neighboring Georgia, which was invaded by Russia in 2008, while in more drastic cases, Russian men have resorted to breaking limbs to avoid conscription.