Russian commander sentenced to 12 years for torturing civilians in Ukraine's Yahidne

Under the public prosecution by the Chernihiv regional prosecutor’s office, he was given the maximum sentence prescribed by law — 12 years in prison (part 2 of article 28 and part 1 of article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

The investigation established that a Russian Armed Forces captain with the Klen call sign commanded his subordinates and ordered them to hold 369 civilians in the basement of a school in the village of Yahidne, Chernihiv district. Among those detained were 69 minors. The residents were used as a "human shield" to protect the command post from a possible advance of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Due to inhumane detention conditions and a lack of proper medical care, 10 people died in the basement.

Additionally, the commander personally committed illegal acts against the victims — forcibly driving people into the school basement and threatening to kill them.

Crimes of Russian troops in Yahidne

The village of Yahidne in the Chernihiv region was under Russian occupation for about a month and was liberated by Ukrainian forces on March 30, 2022.

A few days after the occupation, Russian troops set up their headquarters in the local school and forced over 300 people, including children, into the basement.

Previously, RBC-Ukraine reported that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a working visit to the Chernihiv region. He visited Yahidne, whose residents were held in the basement by the Russian troops during the occupation.

We also reported that the court sentenced 15 soldiers to imprisonment for torturing people in the village of Yahidne, Chernihiv region. The Russian military servicemen held people as a "human shield."