In the Kharkiv region, Russian troops illegally detained a civilian for 36 days
The Security Service of Ukraine, in cooperation with the prosecutor’s office, has gathered evidence against two Russian servicemen who, during fighting in the north of Kharkiv Oblast, abducted and unlawfully detained a civilian. According to the investigation, the occupiers held the man in the basement of a seized building for 36 days, depriving him of adequate living conditions and threatening to kill him if he attempted to escape.
According to law enforcement officials, during counteroffensive operations, the Ukrainian Defense Forces freed the victim and took both Russian servicemen prisoner. They are currently in custody.
The suspects in the case are servicemen of the 128th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 44th Army Corps of the Leningrad Military District of the Russian Federation:
- Denis Agapov, call sign “Nizhniy”;
- Roman Sokov, call sign “Zefir.”
As established by the investigation, in April 2026, during an offensive on a border village in the Chuhuiv District of the Kharkiv Region, Russian soldiers seized a private home.
In the basement of this house, they unlawfully detained a local resident, depriving him of adequate living conditions.
“At that time, the perpetrators seized a private residence and illegally detained a local resident in the basement of the house. There, the man was left for an extended period without food or water, proper sanitary conditions, or access to fresh air,” the SBU reported.
According to the investigation, the occupiers planned to remain in the seized house until Russian army reinforcements arrived; however, the Ukrainian Defense Forces drove them out of their positions, freed the hostage, and detained the Russian military personnel.
A pre-trial investigation is currently underway, and law enforcement officials are documenting all the circumstances of the war crime.
This was reported by the SBU press center.
In addition, the Security Service of Ukraine, in cooperation with the National Police, detained two more Russian agents who, on orders from Russian special services, set fire to military vehicles and specialized transport at critical infrastructure facilities in the Odesa and Vinnytsia regions.
On July 27, the Security Service of Ukraine announced the exposure and detention of two FSB agents who, according to the investigation, were preparing a series of terrorist attacks in the Kharkiv region. One of their missions was an attempt to carry out a mass killing of Ukrainian military personnel under the guise of a “charity” party.
As a reminder, on July 27, the Security Service of Ukraine reported on the results of the latest week of its 40-day operation to reduce Russia’s military and economic potential.
On the night of July 25, long-range drones operated by the Security Service of Ukraine attacked Russian military facilities in Rostov-on-Don and in the Caspian Sea.
