The murder of Minkail Saidov is a criminal case concerning the killing of Minkail Saidov, a 60-year-old businessman and former deputy, committed on March 25, 2026, in the town of Shakhunya in Nizhny Novgorod Region. In September 2026, the investigation was completed, and the case against three accused residents of the town was sent to court.[1][2]

Circumstances of the crime

According to the investigation, the three men agreed on the attack in advance, carefully thought out a plan, and divided roles among themselves. On March 25, 2026, two of them broke into a cottage on Komsomolskaya Street in Shakhunya, while the third remained nearby and watched the surroundings. Inside the house, the attackers committed armed robbery against the owner and fired no fewer than five shots from an illegally acquired weapon; Saidov died at the scene from the wounds he received.[1][2] The accused then searched the house for money and valuables but found nothing, after which they fled and hid the weapon in a tree belt.[1][2]

Investigation

The involvement of the three local residents was established through investigative and operational search measures carried out jointly with officers of the regional Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. In April 2026, the suspects were detained with the tactical support of the Rosgvardia SOBR (special rapid response unit); the court remanded all three in custody.[1]

The charges were brought under articles covering illegal circulation of firearms by a group of persons by prior conspiracy, robbery on an especially large scale causing grievous bodily harm, and murder committed by a group of persons by prior conspiracy, for mercenary motives, and connected with robbery.[1][2] The regional investigative directorate of the Investigative Committee announced the completion of the investigation and the referral of the case to court on September 21, 2026.[1][2] Earlier, the chairman of the Investigative Committee of Russia, Aleksandr Bastrykin, had taken an interest in the murder.[1]

Sources

  1. NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" — Three Residents of Shakhunya to Stand Trial for the Murder of Former Deputy Saidov. Nizhny Novgorod News (archive)
  2. Vremya N — Defendants in the Murder of a Businessman to Appear in Court in Shakhunya