At least three pro-war Russian journalists have received severed pig’s heads from unknown senders over the past week, according to media reports.
The journalists — including state media columnist Timofey Sergeitsev, military expert Konstantin Sivkov and TASS news agency photojournalist Mikhail Tereshchenko — reported having previously received death threats.
Sergeitsev, who last year authored a controversial article calling for the murder of Ukrainian civilians, was the latest recipient of a severed pig’s head.
The Telegram news channel Baza, which is purported to have links to Russian law enforcement, said Sergeitsev found the pig’s head inside a black bag at his doorstep on Tuesday evening.
Sergeitsev’s employer, the state-run news agency Rossiya Segodnya, confirmed the report on Wednesday and said a police investigation was underway.
RIA Novosti later reported that military expert Sivkov was also sent a severed pig’s head.
“[Sivkov] then received a phone call where the unknown caller demanded that he renounce his support for [Russia’s invasion of Ukraine] and threatened to murder him,” the news agency said.
Another Telegram channel with suspected links to Russian law enforcement, 112, said TASS photojournalist Tereshchenko received a pig’s head from a deliveryman on Sept. 19.
Authorities reportedly searched the deliveryman and uncovered four additional bags containing severed pigs’ heads, the 112 channel said.
No suspects were named in the series of incidents.
