Putin's army has recruited a notorious Russian cannibal to serve on the frontlines in Ukraine, in a horrific new development.

       Since the start of the war, the Kremlin has raided prisons across Russia for new recruits in a desperate attempt to cover the huge losses of its front line troops.

       Known initially as Storm Z, the penal battalions typically number between 100 and 150 soldiers.

       The penal squads are embedded within regular army units and typically are sent to the most exposed parts of the front, where they often sustain heavy losses.

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       The Kremlin promised the prisoners that their convictions would be squashed upon the successful completion of their tour of duty in the "meat grinder".

       Now it appears that Russia's very own version of Hannibal Lecter has decided to take his chances at the front in return for an early release from prison.

       Dmitry Malyshev was sentenced to 25 years in prison in 2014 for a series of brutal killings and crimes. A member of a ruthless criminal group, he was convicted for the murder of two people, gun running and cannibalism.

       In an infamous video, he was filmed cutting the heart out of a former acquaintance and roasting it in a frying pan.

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       “We’re roasting a human. Here it is - a heart," he said. “I’ve already added the onion."

       The cannibal signed a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defence to serve in one of its Storm V units in Ukraine in October 2023, which replaced Storm Z battalions.

       In a social media post, Malyshev posted a photo of himself with a fellow convict fighter Alexander Maslennikov.

       Maslennikov stabbed to death two girls he met at a karaoke, dismembered them and hid them in the forest. He was sentenced to 23 years in prison for the brutal double murder.

       The Russian cannibal, who was wounded twice, told the V1 media channel that he came to Ukraine to "fight" against sex education in schools and gays.

       "I knew people who came here from the colony just for a change of scenery," he said.

       "They usually disappear quickly. But I understood why I was going and where I was going.

       "How would you react if your little daughter was told in elementary school how to put on a condom correctly? Or will men walk down the street and lick each other? Is this normal for you? It's not normal for me."