Mykolaiv region punishes invader for atrocities

In Mykolaiv region, a court sentenced a Russian soldier who was found guilty of ill-treatment of civilians during the occupation. The case involves kidnapping, torture, threats of rape and detention in basements.

The judge of the Snihurivsky District Court passed the sentence.

The events that formed the basis of the verdict took place in the spring and fall of 2022 in the villages of Pavlivka, Vasylivka and Tamaryne of the Snihuriv community, when these territories were under the occupation of Russian troops. Among them were units of the motorized rifle brigade where the accused served.

The occupiers systematically carried out so-called "filtration measures": they broke into houses, checked phones, interrogated locals and looked for those who might be associated with the Armed Forces or terrorist organizations. This was often accompanied by violence and illegal detentions.

In early June 2022, the occupiers came to the homes of two men in Pavlivka. Without explanation, they were forced into a car and taken to a neighboring village. There they were thrown into the basement of a private house.

One of the victims told the court that they spent about an hour in the dark cellar, not understanding what was going to happen to them. After that, their hands were tied with plastic ties, they were blindfolded and taken to the Kherson region, where they were held and interrogated for several days.

I was afraid for my life. They didn't explain anything to us - they just accused us of "passing something on," he said in court.

His cohabitant recalled how the military took her husband right out of the house, despite her requests to leave him because of his health condition after a stroke. After returning, he had problems with his kidneys and speech.

Another episode occurred in September 2022 in Tamarino. A local resident was stopped on the street and asked about her son, who is a soldier in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. According to the victim, when she did not give the desired answers, the military started shooting at her feet, forced her to kneel and beat her with rifle butts.

They threatened to take her to a landing zone and shoot her. Then they threatened to rape me. I really thought it would happen," she testified.

The woman was taken to the garage, where the beatings and threats continued. One of the soldiers spoke directly about rape, while the others laughed and supported his words. Then she was beaten again and a mock execution was carried out, with gunfire firing nearby.

Her sister witnessed some of the events and saw the soldiers stop the woman and open fire at her feet from a distance. She also heard the shots from the yard where the victim was taken. After the experience, the woman was forced to leave the village with her family.

Another episode concerns a 14-year-old boy. In October 2022, the military was looking for him in the village. When he learned about it, the teenager approached the car himself, hoping to avoid violence. He was immediately put in the car and taken to a house where the occupants were stationed. There he was forced to clean the premises, beaten and threatened with execution.

He stood next to a machine gun and controlled how I was cleaning. Then he said that you have five minutes to disappear, otherwise he will shoot you," the victim said.

The boy's mother recalled that the soldier called it "re-education," despite the fact that the child was a minor.

The key evidence was the identification of the accused by several victims and witnesses from photographs. The court sentenced him to 10 years in prison in absentia.

Also in Mykolaiv region, two Russian occupiers held civilians in slavery for six months, torturing and abusing them. Law enforcement officers have now brought the case to court.

Анна Бальчінос