"DPR" militants were sentenced to 15 years for the kidnapping of residents of the Kherson region

Three "DPR" militants were convicted of mistreating civilians in the Kherson region and violating the laws and customs of war. Two were sentenced to 15 years in prison each, and the third to 12 years. In March 2022, they kidnapped two men and demanded $10,000 for their release.

This was reported by the Kherson Regional Prosecutor’s Office.

According to the investigation, on March 20, 2022, near the village of Muzykovka, soldiers stopped a car carrying a driver and a passenger, ostensibly to check their documents. They accused the driver of supporting Ukraine and demanded he hand over the car keys.

When the man refused, he was brutally beaten. The attackers placed a plastic bag over his head and cut off his oxygen supply. Afterward, both men were placed in the trunk of the car and taken to a town in the Mykolaiv region.

The victims were held in a room used for storing oxygen tanks. The next day, they were released after a ransom of $10,000 was paid.

The car owner suffered the most severe injuries: multiple rib fractures, thermal burns, and contusions.

The court found the three military personnel guilty of cruel treatment of civilians and other violations of the laws and customs of war. The verdict was handed down in absentia. The convicted individuals will serve their sentences upon their actual arrest.

Андрій Колісніченко