Militants systematically tortured residents of occupied Kherson region in seized school

Three militants of the "army corps of the Donetsk People's Republic" were served in absentia with a notice of suspicion of torture and illegal detention of residents of Kherson region. In 2022, they kidnapped people, abused them physically and psychologically, and kept them in inhumane conditions in the occupied territory.

This was reported by the press service of the Kherson Regional Prosecutor's Office.

Law enforcement officers served three militants of the so-called "army corps of the Donetsk People's Republic" with suspicion of cruel treatment of civilians (Part 2 of Article 28, Part 1 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

The investigation established that since March 2022, servicemen of the "2nd Motorized Rifle Battalion of the 109th Rifle Regiment", while in the temporarily occupied territory of the Kalynivka community of Beryslav district, participated in the abduction and torture of local residents.

In particular, under the guise of searching for ATO participants, they came to one of the houses, forced the owner to open the door, and took him to a seized school, which they used as a basement for illegal detention. The man was held there for almost two months in terrible conditions.

He was beaten, tortured, physically and mentally abused, including having his tattoos burned off. The prisoner was deprived of proper conditions of detention - there was no lighting, no furniture, no proper food and no access to water.

The militants abducted other residents of the community in a similar manner. People were held captive for no reason, tortured, threatened with death and kept in humiliating and exhausting conditions.

The investigation is being conducted by the SBU in Kherson region. Operational support is provided by the SBU CI and border guards of the 79th Detachment of the SBGSU.

Also, a woman who fought in the ranks of the illegal armed group "DNR" and participated in the torture of civilians in Kherson region will be tried for high treason and cruel treatment of civilians. In one of the episodes, she broke into a house where a woman with two young children were staying and, threatening them with a gun, put it to the baby's head, declaring her intention to kill and arrest the entire family.

In Kherson region, more than 1,500 cases of torture of civilians during the occupation have been documented, and about 50 deaths caused by torture are being investigated. More than a hundred people have already been notified of suspicion, including Russian military, FSB officers and local collaborators.

Анна Бальчінос