Serial killer's chilling explanation after butchering at least 90 women

WARNING - GRAPHIC CONTENT: MIKHAIL 'WEREWOLF' POPKOV, 61, A FORMER POLICE OFFICER, PREYED ON WOMEN AGED FROM 18 TO 50 DURING A 19-YEAR REIGN OF TERROR IN SIBERIA, RUSSIA 07:00, 30

May 2025 The most prolific serial killer in the world has offered a horrifying justification for his murderous spree that resulted in at least 90 female victims being slain, one of whom was

hacked to death with an axe before being set on fire. Mikhail 'Werewolf' Popkov, dubbed so due to his aberrant and violent behaviour, stands accused of the savage killing of

cleaner Tatyana S, whose remains he burnt in Angarsk in 2011. Authorities suggest Popkov's gruesome count might actually be "closer to 200," police sources claim. Aged 61 and

a former policeman, Popkov targeted women between the ages of 18 and 50, commonly raping them prior to extinguishing their lives using implements such as axes, hammers, knives, screwdrivers

and spades. With a pair of handcuffs restricting him, Popkov chillingly owned up at a recent crime scene near a deserted water pump station, saying: "I committed the murder." His

reasoning for these dire actions was even more disturbing. Police believe his actual tally of murders is "closer to 200" due to his annual habit of admitting further crimes,

purportedly to negotiate better prison living conditions. Popkov, who is married and has a child, terrorised lone women from 1992 until 2011 predominantly in Angarsk, Russia, claiming he was

motivated by a zeal to "cleanse prostitutes", reports the Mirror US. Reliving the last murder he has confessed to, he said: "I was on a bicycle, about to cross the park... I

met this woman I didn't know, or she asked me something, and some conversation ensued." Article continues below The altercation turned violent and he hit her with a small axe.When

asked whether he continued the assault after she fell, he said: "No, I think I just pushed her over there and she fell over there. Then I stepped back, took out a match, threw a match,

it went up in flames." He confessed to soaking her in solvent before setting her alight and said: "And I just got on my bike and took off," as Popkov chillingly recounted

leaving the scene. "I put the axe right on the grass. Who will be looking for her at that time?" If his confession results in a conviction, it would corroborate at least 90 murders

he is believed to have committed. Already condemned to serve two life terms plus an additional decade for a string of brutalities against women, the infamous "Angarsk Maniac" may

soon be held accountable for another gruesome act. This particular murder, with the remains found in 2011, had not initially been connected to Popkov. This crime is thought to be the most

recent Popkov has acknowledged. The Russian Investigative Committee has said: "Popkov has admitted his guilt and testified to committing the crime, after which he was transferred [from

his high security jail] to the Irkutsk region for the necessary investigative procedures. He has now been charged." Last year, Popkov admitted to committing three additional murders in

the Primorsky region of Russia, which is located some 2,400 miles away from the Siberian city of Angarsk in Irkutsk, where he carried out the majority of his horrific crimes. Following his

departure from the police force, Popkov travelled to the Russian Pacific port city of Vladivostok to purchase second-hand Japanese cars, which he would then sell back in his hometown. Popkov

was diagnosed with homicidal mania, defined as "a condition when a person has an irrational desire to kill someone", TASS reported. Yet, despite this diagnosis, the serial killer

was deemed to be of sound mind. Notably, Russia has maintained a suspension of the death penalty since 1996, sparing even the most vile criminals from execution. Previously, capital

punishment was meted out by gunshot to the back of the head. A harrowing clip from Popkov's personal archives shows him in the 1990s brandishing a knife and ominously reciting a

post-war ditty about Nazi POWs preying on local people. "I will slash you. I will beat you. Now it's your turn," he menacingly declares, grinning. His modus operandi typically

involved offering women lifts in his patrol car late at night, after which he drove them to secluded areas to rape and murder them, abandoning their naked remains in forests or along

roadsides. Popkov once confessed to a judge that he couldn't remember the exact tally of his victims. "I can't say exactly, I didn't keep a record," he told the

judge. However, the serial killer did admit to the court: "I admit my guilt in full.... Committing the murders, I was guided by my inner convictions." Following his arrest in 2012,

he informed the police that his aim was to "cleanse" the streets of "prostitutes". "They abandoned their husbands and children at home and went out to party as if

it was the last day on earth," he declared. One theory proposes that an affair his wife Elena had with a coworker may have sparked Popkov's murderous rampage. Alexey Mulyavin, aged

52, admitted to having an affair with Elena before her husband embarked on his horrific spree. "He did not catch us red handed, but he learned about it," the man disclosed.

"You know, it was a very short affair. We were young. And probably everyone has love affairs at work." Popkov had previously described finding used condoms at his home and

suspected Elena of being unfaithful. She refuted the allegations, asserting she allowed friends to use their house for a rendezvous. Popkov said: "This was the impetus for my future. If

I had seen the treason with my own eyes, I would perhaps have done everything differently." "Everyone goes through such things differently. Some take it easily and forget, others

take it painfully. What happened to me?The worst-case scenario." In 2023, Popkov was sentenced for three previously undisclosed murders in Irkutsk between 1997 and 2003. Two women, aged

25 and 27, were strangled near the Angara River, one of whom was set alight after being doused in petrol. Article continues below The third victim was a 31 year old nursery school teacher

and mother of two. Despite Popkov's proposition to join Vladimir Putin's war against Ukraine in return for his freedom, his request has been rejected.