Two captives after abduction: Russian soldiers convicted of crime against farmers in Donetsk region. VIDEO
Two farmers from the Bakhmut district endured unlawful detention, interrogations under threat, being transported blindfolded, a journey lasting several days through occupied territory, and being taken prisoner again.
For these war crimes, two Russian servicemen have been sentenced in absentia to 12 years’ imprisonment, reports Censor.NET.
Details
Prosecutors in Donetsk Oblast proved in court the guilt of two men from Luhansk region who fought as part of the occupying forces. They were found guilty of violating the laws and customs of war. The court imposed the maximum sentence under this article.
In July 2022, a 57-year-old man and his 35-year-old niece travelled to the village of Stryapivka to collect their poultry and personal belongings. At the entrance to the village, they were detained by the occupiers, who groundlessly accused them of collaborating with the Ukrainian Defence Forces.
The victims were taken to a so-called command post, where a soldier nicknamed ‘Boomer’ seized their documents, car keys, and other belongings at gunpoint. Initially, the men were held in a cellar, and later, following an interrogation conducted alongside a company commander nicknamed "Steklo", they were transported to a basement in Volodymyrivka.
Later, the farmers were taken to the Luhansk region and handed over to other Russian soldiers. To conceal their route, sacks were placed over their heads. Subsequently, the civilians were left in the middle of a field without food, water, or assistance.
For four days, the man and woman made their way on foot through the occupied territory, but were captured again. It was only after almost a month and a half that they managed to return to territory controlled by Ukraine.
During the investigation, law enforcement officers identified those involved in the crime – a private and a senior lieutenant of the 6th Motorised Rifle Regiment of the Southern Military District of the Russian Armed Forces.
"This case is about specific people whom the Russian military turned into hostages simply because they remained Ukrainian civilians in the occupied territory.
The occupiers locked them in damp cellars, deprived them of proper food, blindfolded them, tied their hands, and threatened them with execution. The man was beaten, and the woman was threatened until she lost consciousness. They endured two periods of captivity, several stages of illegal transport, a journey through occupied territory, and almost a month and a half of uncertainty. But the Russian soldiers did not manage to remain unidentified. Ukrainian investigators and prosecutors established their names, gathered evidence, and brought the case to a conviction," said Oleksandr Golubov, deputy head of the Donetsk Regional Prosecutor’s Office.
