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Electric shock, beating, choking — Russian commander tortured civilians in occupied Oleshky, prosecutors say
Ukraine’s Security Service says it has completed its investigation into a Russian commander accused of torturing two civilians in occupied Oleshky and has sent the indictment to court. The case concerns alleged treatment during Russia’s occupation and forms part of a wider effort to investigate suspected war crimes in Kherson Oblast.
Prosecutors say the unarmed men were detained in June 2023 and held for ten days in a ninth-floor flat with too little food, water and sanitation. One was allegedly beaten, shocked with electricity and strangled during questioning; the other suffered fractures to 11 ribs, his sternum and jaw, and later had a finger amputated after an infection. More than 55,000 criminal offences have been registered in Kherson Oblast since Russia’s full-scale invasion began.
In short
- Ukraine has sent a Russian commander’s alleged torture case to court.
- Two civilians were reportedly held and tortured for ten days.
- More than 55,000 criminal offences have been registered in Kherson Oblast.
Explained simply
Oleshky is a town in Kherson Oblast, in southern Ukraine, which came under Russian occupation after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. Civilians living in occupied areas have been caught up in investigations into alleged abuses by occupying forces.
Ukraine’s Security Service investigates suspected crimes, while prosecutors bring cases before courts. In this case, the allegations concern two unarmed men detained in 2023; the accused commander is due to face the court process, which will assess the evidence.
Kherson Oblast has registered tens of thousands of criminal offences since the invasion began, including cases being investigated as possible war crimes. Such cases seek to establish what happened and who was responsible under the law.