Law enforcement officers have exposed five militants of the LPR terrorist group who tortured and robbed civilians during the occupation of Izyum district.
This was reported by the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office.
‘Under the procedural guidance of the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office, five occupiers were served in absentia with a notice of suspicion of treason under martial law, cruel treatment of civilians, and other violations of the laws and customs of war committed by a group of persons by prior conspiracy (Part 2 of Article 111, Part 2 of Article 28, Part 1 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine as amended in 2022),’ the statement reads.
The suspects were militants of the rifle battalion of the 202nd motorised rifle regiment of the LPR terrorist group. All of the suspects are natives of Luhansk Region who voluntarily sided with Russia. On 2 March 2022, the Russian military, including the five suspects, took control of the village of Dovhalivka in Izyum district, where they committed a number of crimes.
According to the investigation, on 14 April 2022, they stopped a local resident at a checkpoint, abducted him and took him to a torture chamber set up on the territory of the Ukrgeofizyka base. The suspects wanted to get information from the victim about the Ukrainian Armed Forces servicemen with whom he was friends, as well as local residents who were helping the Ukrainian military and offering to work for the occupation authorities for free.
The man refused, and the perpetrators beat him. That evening, FSB officers arrived at the torture chamber.
They took the victim outside, took him to a checkpoint and tied his hands. The occupier stood on the victim's feet, restricting his ability to move. At the same time, they put a bag over the victim's head, thus blocking his air supply.
The man was then placed in a pit, where he spent a total of four days. During his stay on the territory of the base, he was kept in a room that was not heated during the cold season, without the necessary medical care, food, water and the ability to relieve himself, which caused the victim physical pain and mental suffering, and subjected to torture, physical and psychological violence.
In addition, the occupiers stole a grinder, a brushcutter and a boat motor from the man's home.
Also on 14 April 2022, the occupiers came to a man who lived with his family. They tied his legs with wire, put him in a car and took him to the same torture chamber. After interrogation, the victim was placed in a shed and ordered to dig trenches. He was released in the evening. The man's mobile phone, hair clipper and flashlight were stolen.
The suspects also conducted ‘searches’ of local residents and forcibly took their property. Threatening to use weapons, they took away ordinary household items: mobile phones, laptops, an electric stove, a TV, a puncher, a trailer, etc.
It has been established that the offenders acted in collusion with other Russian occupiers. All measures are being taken to identify them.
The prosecutor's office adds that this is not the first criminal proceeding against these occupiers. Earlier, the prosecutors of the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office sent an indictment against these defendants to the court on the facts of violation of the laws and customs of war committed by a group of persons by prior conspiracy (part 2 of Article 28, part 1, 2 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).