Vladislav Chelakh was born in 1992 in Karaganda, Kazakhstan. Details about his early life are limited, but it's known that he was conscripted into the Kazakh border service and assigned to the Arkankergen border post, a remote station near the Chinese border.​

On May 28, 2012, communication was lost with the Arkankergen border post. When authorities arrived, they discovered the charred remains of the facility and 14 burned bodies. A 15th victim, a local gamekeeper, was found nearby.

Chelakh, the only survivor, was found days later in civilian clothes, carrying a pistol and belongings of the deceased. He initially confessed to the killings, citing hazing as a motive, but later retracted his confession, claiming it was coerced and that the post had been attacked by unknown assailants.

Despite the lack of concrete evidence and Chelakh's retraction, he was convicted on multiple charges, including murder and desertion, and sentenced to life imprisonment. The case sparked controversy and conspiracy theories, with some questioning the plausibility of a lone conscript committing such an act.