Six Russian soldiers charged with torture of civilians in Ukraine's Kharkiv region

The Prosecutor General's Office reports.

The suspects include members of the 3rd Rifle Platoon, 4th Rifle Company, 1st Rifle Battalion of the 202nd Motorized Rifle Regiment of the so-called "LPR," along with the chief of staff from the 126th Regiment of the Russian National Guard.

On March 2, 2022, the invading Russian forces, including the suspects, took control of the village of Savyntsi and the village of Dovhalivka in the Izium district.

According to the investigation, during the occupation of the settlements, the suspects held pro-Ukrainian citizens in torture chambers and abused them. The invaders used physical and psychological violence and tortured them to obtain information about the Ukrainian military and local residents who were helping the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

"The victims were tied behind their backs, beaten, and shot with automatic weapons near them, some were taken to the forest and imitated execution. People were held in inhumane conditions, without access to food, water and in unsanitary conditions," the Prosecutor General's Office says.

According to law enforcement officials, one of the victims is a deputy of the Savyntsi village council. His interrogation was personally conducted by the chief of staff of the 126th Regiment's battalion. He threatened the detainee with physical injury, namely cutting off his genitals.

"At that time, another suspect was beating the victim. After the abuse, the invaders left the torture chamber and threw a smoke bomb inside the room, which caused the victim to suffocate. The perpetrators dragged the man to the yard, threw a rope around his neck and began to squeeze, gradually restricting air access," the statement says.

At the same time, the Russians asked him about local partisans. The man lost consciousness from lack of air, was brought to life and beaten while lying on the ground. This kind of torture was carried out several times, according to the Prosecutor General's Office.

One of the victims, a 59-year-old man, sustained severe injuries incompatible with life as a result of torture. Other victims managed to survive.

Law enforcement officers are currently deciding whether to put the suspects on the wanted list.

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