Law enforcement officials have identified the Russian National Guard commander who tortured a judge in the Kharkiv region

The prosecutor’s office has formally charged a 32-year-old Russian soldier with the call sign “Berkut” in absentia; he is believed to be involved in war crimes committed during the occupation of the region. The commander of a Russian National Guard unit is accused of violating the laws and customs of war by systematically torturing a judge from one of the local courts in the Kharkiv region in order to coerce him into cooperating. 

This was reported by the Office of the Prosecutor General.

The investigation established that in June 2022, the occupiers repeatedly abducted the victim, took him to a torture chamber in the district police station building, and threatened to shoot him. During the attacks, the invaders ransacked the judge’s home, fired shots over his head, and forbade him from leaving the city under threat of being “taken to the basement.” Despite the physical and psychological pressure, the man refused to support the occupation regime.

Measures are currently underway to identify other individuals involved in crimes within this unit. The Russian commander faces a lengthy prison sentence, and the victim’s testimony will form part of the evidence base for international tribunals.

The Security Service of Ukraine and the National Police have gathered evidence against a prison inspector from the Tula region of the Russian Federation who tortured Ukrainian prisoners of war. He has been notified of his status as a suspect in crimes against prisoners of war of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.