Under the procedural guidance of prosecutors from the Mykolaiv Regional Prosecutor's Office, two servicemen of the tank battalion of the 205th Separate Motorized Rifle Cossack Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces have been notified of suspicion for violating the laws and customs of war, committed by a group of persons in conspiracy (Part 2 of Article 28, Part 1 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

The investigation has established that in April 2022, in one of the occupied settlements of the Snihurivka community, the suspects – a tank commander and a mechanic-driver, citizens of the Russian Federation, using threats and physical violence, forced a local resident to load and unload grain crops. The victim suffered physical and psychological suffering, including due to beatings and intentional humiliation.

In addition, in August 2022, the mechanic-driver, in the presence of the tank commander, inflicted bodily injuries on another local resident, including a broken rib, which is classified as a medium severity injury.

Such actions are regarded as torture and inhumane treatment of civilians, which is prohibited by the norms of international humanitarian law.

The pre-trial investigation in the criminal proceedings is being conducted by investigators of the Main Directorate of the National Police in the Mykolaiv region.