Putin honours five-time murderer who was 'quickly liquidated' after he was freed from jail to join Russia's war in Ukraine

• Ivan Neparatov, 34, was released early from prison to join the war effort
• The gang leader was jailed for a campaign of murder and terror, killing five
• He has been awarded the Order of Courage after being killed in Donetsk 

A five-time murderer who was freed from a Russian jail to join the war against Ukraine has been posthumously decorated by Vladimir Putin.

Ivan Neparatov, 34, was one of thousands of jail inmates recruited to fight in Russia's savage war.

He had served almost half of a 25-year sentence for multiple murders when he joined the pro-Putin Wagner private army and was posted to the frontline in Ukraine.

A report said he was 'quickly liquidated' after joining the war effort.

Putin has been accused of recruiting in Russian jails and offering to quash the sentences of murderers, rapists and other serious criminals.

Critics say they are 'cannon fodder' and there are indications of a high death rate.

Chess-playing killer and ruthless gang leader Neparatov was posthumously awarded the Order of Courage by Putin.

He posthumously received another order 'for blood and courage' from the so-called Donetsk People's Republic.

He had been serving his jail term at bleak strict regime penal colony No. 6 in Pskov region for murders committed by him and his gang who wore police uniforms and masks.

He had been imprisoned with eight of his gang for a campaign of murder and terror.

A female victim was strangled in a robbery, while a man was stabbed 88 times.

He was also convicted of kidnapping and robbery.

His death certificate shows he was killed in early August in Artemovsk, Donetsk region by a 'gunshot explosive shrapnel penetrating wound to the head'.

Olga Romanova, of Russia Behind Bars, said in some prisons up to 20 per cent of the jail populations have been recruited.

'Approximately 20% of the prison population is recruited - if there are 1,300 people in prison, 300 are recruited,' she said.

'They are not taken out all at once.

'They take out several squads of 50-60 people at a time.'

The convicts are given two weeks cursory training before being sent to the frontline to take on the Ukrainian army.