Acid attack killer arrested with accomplice in Yekaterinburg

Law enforcement officers have detained two suspects in the attempted murder of Yekaterinburg resident Alena — the girl was splashed with acid on the orders of her former husband. A third person involved, Nikolai Yermakov, chief editor of «Yermak Media», has already been arrested. He denies his guilt.

The press service of the Sverdlovsk Investigative Committee reported that Yermakov wanted to kill his ex-wife, for which he hired a man and a woman — a hitman and his assistant.

On the morning of January 12, in an underground parking lot, the man hired by the journalist splashed Alena with acid; the girl began to resist, and the criminal fled without finishing the job.

The criminals were detained by police officers from the organized crime combating unit of the regional Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (GU MVD), together with colleagues from the city UMVD and the 14th police department.

“The last persons involved were arrested at the residence of the man«s relatives, where they were trying to »lay low«,” said Valery Gorelykh, head of the press service of the GU MVD for Sverdlovsk Region. “Both of them had previously been at odds with the law, having convictions for involvement in large-scale illegal drug trafficking. They are a kind of Bonnie and Clyde, but of our days. The man was sentenced by the Kirovsky District Court of Yekaterinburg to 12 years, and he was released from colony in 2023. This time, they committed a serious crime together.”

The persons involved, depending on their role, have been charged with the following articles:

• “Organization of attempted murder, committed by a group of persons by prior conspiracy” (Part 3 of Article 33, Part 3 of Article 30, Point «zh» Part 2 of Article 105 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation);

• “Attempted murder committed for hire” (Part 3 of Article 30, Point «z» Part 2 of Article 105 of the Criminal Code);

• “Aiding in attempted murder committed for hire” (Part 5 of Article 33, Part 3 of Article 30, Point «z» Part 2 of Article 105 of the Criminal Code).

Until the court decides on further preventive measures, all will remain in custody.

The victim said that she left her former husband in February 2025 due to domestic violence. She may require skin grafting.

What is known about Nikolai Yermakov, we have collected in a separate article. All news on the topic — in a separate story.