How Russian forces tortured Kherson residents - Details from prosecutor's office
Photo: handcuffs (Getty Images)
The Kherson Regional Prosecutor’s Office has issued notices of suspicion to two local residents accused of collaborating with Russian occupiers and taking part in the torture of civilians, according to the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine.
Torture chamber in central Kherson
In 2022, during Russia’s occupation of Kherson, occupying authorities set up a basement detention site in the city center, reportedly equipped according to standards of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB).
Civilians were allegedly held there in isolation, handcuffed to radiators, without access to toilets and in unsanitary conditions.
Torture and forced confessions
According to investigators, detainees were subjected to electric shocks, mock executions, and threats of sexual violence in attempts to force confessions of cooperation with Ukrainian law enforcement.
One man was abducted in July, tortured and held in the basement for over a month before being taken outside in August. Another resident was detained in September and reportedly beaten and electrocuted while being pressured to confess to involvement in attacks on Russian positions.
Local collaborators
In the summer of 2022, two local residents allegedly joined occupation structures and took positions in special operations and an “international” department.
Their task, prosecutors say, was to identify and persecute residents of Kherson considered pro-Ukrainian.
Prosecutor's suspicion
The Kherson Regional Prosecutor’s Office has charged the two men with high treason, participation in an illegal armed formation and cruel treatment of civilians.
