Nine Russians charged for torturing civilians in Kyiv region
Photo: Russians suspected of torturing civilians (facebook.com/SecurSerUkraine)
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has notified nine Russian servicemen of suspicion for torturing civilians during the temporary occupation of the Bucha district of Kyiv region in 2022.
Case details
According to the investigation, during the capture of the village of Andriivka in March 2022, the commander of the 64th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade, Colonel Azatbek Omurbekov, issued an order to carry out repressions against the local population. As part of this operation, senior intelligence officer Petro Zakharov imprisoned four local residents, who were brutally tortured in order to intimidate them and to identify alleged members of the resistance.
In addition, war crimes were also documented in the village of Vyshegrad. In February 2022, servicemen of the 37th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 36th Army of the Russian Eastern Military District held 11 civilians in a cramped cellar with an area of only 10 square meters. The people spent almost two weeks there in inhumane conditions.
Who is involved in case
In addition to Omurbekov and Zakharov, seven more servicemen are suspected of war crimes:
- Sergeant Andrey Karkin - squad commander;
- Sergeant Timur Danchenko - combat vehicle commander;
- Corporal Leonid Semenov;
- Corporal Chingis Radnaev;
- Private Oleksandr Zaitsev;
- Private Artem Perevozkin;
- Private Yevhen Shyrokin.
Potential punishment
All nine Russians have been notified in absentia of suspicion under Part 2 of Article 28, Part 1 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine – violation of the laws and customs of war, committed by a group of persons upon prior conspiracy. These crimes carry a penalty of up to 12 years of imprisonment or life imprisonment.
Recently, the SBU notified Russian soldier Sergey Tuzhilov of suspicion. He faces life imprisonment for the alleged execution of a Ukrainian prisoner of war.
Earlier, the Security Service also succeeded in identifying Russian servicemen who, during the occupation of part of the Kyiv region, were engaged in torturing civilians.
Before that, the SBU identified the commander of the Akhmat special rapid response unit of the Russian National Guard.
