Torture chamber in foundry in Dymer, Kyiv region: FSB officer charged with torturing civilians. VIDEO+PHOTOS
An officer of Russia’s Federal Security Service has been charged with involvement in the torture of civilians during the occupation of the Kyiv region.
This has been reported by the Office of the Prosecutor General and the National Police, according to Censor.NET.
The occupation of Dymer
In the spring of 2022, units of the Russian Armed Forces’ 83rd Separate Airborne Assault Brigade occupied the village of Dymer in the Vyshhorod district. On the premises of the ‘Alfa-Land’ enterprise, the military set up a base and stationed equipment. In the foundry workshop, they created a place for the illegal detention of civilians – effectively a torture chamber.
According to the investigation, a senior staff officer, the head of the military counter-intelligence department of the Federal Security Service’s Eastern Military District Directorate, was involved in these actions. He acted in concert with the military personnel of this unit.
Torture of civilians
Between 21 and 25 March 2022, the suspect, knowing that he was dealing with civilians protected under international humanitarian law, used violence against them together with other military personnel.
During the so-called ‘interrogations’, the individuals were beaten with fists, feet and the butts of weapons on the head, torso and limbs, forced to kneel, and intimidated by gunshots fired nearby. They were demanded to confess to alleged collaboration with the Ukrainian military.
Through these actions, the suspect caused the civilians severe physical pain and mental suffering.
Details
According to the National Police, the 83rd Separate Guards Airborne Assault Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces is stationed in Ussuriysk, Primorsky Krai. The brigade commander, his deputies for logistics and military-political work, and the chief of staff have been identified. It has been established that they were the ones who organised the units’ operations during the occupation and ensured the functioning of the control system over the captured settlements.
Under their leadership, in March 2022, Russian troops set up a torture chamber on the premises of a factory in the town of Dymer. More than three dozen civilian men and women of various ages were held simultaneously in a room measuring approximately 30 square metres. In total, hundreds of people passed through the torture chamber.
People were held in inhumane conditions: without sufficient food or water, without medical care, in a cold, unheated room. The victims were forced to sleep on the floor, use a makeshift toilet in the presence of others, and were systematically humiliated.
A representative of the Russian FSB – the so-called ‘curator’, responsible for conducting filtration measures and working with the civilian population – played a key role in the functioning of this system. In fact, it was he who organised and controlled the operation of the torture chamber, determined the conditions of detention and coordinated the actions of the military.
To establish his identity and role in the crimes, the police carried out extensive work: they interviewed victims and witnesses, conducted numerous line-ups, and analysed a significant body of evidence. It has been proven that the suspect personally took part in the interrogation of civilians, which was accompanied by torture, and supervised the so-called ‘filtration’ process.
Illegal deportation of civilians
Furthermore, he made decisions regarding the fate of the detainees — who to release and who to illegally deport to the territory of the Russian Federation.
With his involvement and under his control, the forced deportation of civilians from the Dymer community took place. The illegal transfer of at least 42 people has been documented — among them villagers, students, entrepreneurs, coaches and a journalist. Some of them were subsequently returned, but at least 24 civilians remain in captivity.
The abducted people were dispersed across various facilities within the Russian Federation, effectively isolating them from the outside world. They were held in penal institutions and pre-trial detention centres, specifically in colonies and detention centres in the Rostov, Mordovia, Bryansk, Smolensk, Perm, Tula and Vladimir regions.
What are the consequences?
A representative of the FSB of the Russian Federation has now been notified of suspicion of violating the laws and customs of war, accompanied by cruel treatment of the civilian population (Part 1 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). The penalty under this article provides for imprisonment for up to life.
Others involved
As noted, other Russian military personnel have also been identified as being involved in these crimes, both among the rank and file and among the brigade’s leadership. Evidence is currently being gathered regarding their involvement in the unlawful detention of people, torture and the forced deportation of civilians.
