A 19-year-old lad is in hospital facing multiple ops after two knife-wielding thugs scalped him on the street because they did not like his yellow-green mohawk.

The shocking crime took place in downtown Elektrostal, Russia, on 9th July, when the sick pair grabbed victim Yuriy Markov from behind and brutally attacked him.

Yuriy is now in hospital with pain throughout his body and his head and hands in bandages.

He has already had one operation and still faces multiple reconstructive surgeries.

Yuriy, whose life is out of danger, told local media: “Right now, it’s somewhat manageable. It’s quite difficult to get up at first. My vision gets blurry.”

Speaking about the horrifying attack, he recalled: “They grabbed me. They turned me around from behind. Bent me over. Started cutting my hair.

“After they cut my hair, they said that if I turn to anyone, they will find me and kill me.”

Shortly before the crime, Yuriy had been hanging out with friends and had got into an argument with another group of young people.

According to one version of events, he had asked one of the other group for a cigarette, only to be met with insults and snide remarks about his strange hairdo.

An eyewitness told local media: “Yuriy has a yellow-green mohawk. That’s his haircut. They didn’t like his hair colour.

“I understand that an argument ensued, and Yuriy told him off. The other guy said, ‘I will cut you.’ Yuriy replied, ‘Go ahead.’ Then the guy took out a knife.”

Not only did the thugs cut off the teen’s hair, but they also removed much of the skin from his head.

He was left to fend for himself during the attack, as his pals had run away in fear from the knife-wielding pair.

After leaving him soaked in blood, the suspects fled the scene, while Yuriy ran to a nearby store in search of help.

People at the store gave him first aid and tried to stem the bleeding.

One told local media: “We just sat down, tried to talk to him. He said, ‘My vision is getting blurry.’

“We tried to be there with him, to make him look us in the eyes and not lose consciousness.”

Paramedics quickly arrived on the scene and rushed Yuriy to the nearest hospital. Meanwhile, the police started searching for the suspects.

The Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for Moscow Oblast said in a statement obtained by CEN on 11th July: “After receiving the report of the incident, the police immediately organised operational and investigative measures.

“As a result, the first suspect in the commission of the unlawful act was detained by the police in Elektrostal on the following day.

“Subsequently, investigators located the whereabouts of the second suspect, who was hiding in the city of Obninsk, Kaluga oblast, where he was arrested.”

One has been identified as 24-year-old Ilya Taingushev from Komi. He has a criminal record for theft and robbery, according to local media.

The second suspect is named as 30-year-old Zafar T.

One of the victim’s friends, Alina, told local media: “Yuriy is a non-confrontational person. He used to dye his hair before.

“People started picking on him because of his hair and specific tattoos.”