A Russian man confessed to killing five Ukrainian soldiers and a fisherman
The Office of the Prosecutor General has released a video of the interrogation of a Russian soldier suspected of killing five soldiers from the 72nd Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and a 60-year-old fisherman in the Kharkiv region. In the recording, the man describes how he shot the victims and what he did after the killings. According to the investigation, he had previously fled Russian positions with a weapon.
The Russian soldier, who is suspected of killing five Ukrainian defenders and a civilian man in the Kharkiv region, described the circumstances of the crimes during his interrogation. According to investigators, the suspect killed five servicemen from the 72nd Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and a 60-year-old fisherman. Law enforcement officials are establishing all the circumstances of the events. Reports of the killings of Ukrainian servicemen had previously emerged in news stories citing sources within law enforcement agencies.
What is known about the suspect
The suspect is 36-year-old Russian citizen Leonid Ryzhikov from St. Petersburg. According to the Security Service of Ukraine, he served in the 2nd Battalion of the 1009th Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 68th Motorized Rifle Division of the Russian Federation’s 6th Combined Arms Army. His call sign was “Yula.” According to the SBU, Ryzhikov was mobilized into the Russian army in late July 2026. Prior to that, he had served an eight-year prison sentence for intentionally causing grievous bodily harm and theft.
After his mobilization, the Russian was sent to the temporarily occupied territory of the Chuhuiv District in the Kharkiv Region. According to the investigation, on October 5–6, near the village of Starytsia, he came under fire from Ukrainian troops. He then abandoned his position and fled, taking an AK-74 assault rifle with him.
How the Russian Killed a Fisherman
During questioning, Ryzhikov stated that on October 13, he saw a man fishing near a body of water. At first, there was a distance of about 20 meters between them, but later the Russian soldier approached closer. According to the suspect, he feared that the fisherman might report his whereabouts to Ukrainian troops. Because of this, he decided to kill the man. “I was afraid he was going to turn me in right then and there, so I killed him,” Ryzhikov said in the interrogation video.
He claims that he pulled out his assault rifle and shot the fisherman from a distance of about three meters. After the shot, the man fell near the water. Then, according to the suspect, he pushed the body into the water. This incident is part of the investigation into the murder of a civilian.
The occupier described the killing of five soldiers
During the interrogation, Ryzhikov also described the events that, according to investigators, preceded the killing of the Ukrainian servicemen. After killing the fisherman, he entered the house where the Ukrainian soldiers were staying. The Russian man said he heard one of the men run out of the building. About five to ten minutes later, the man returned.
Then, according to the suspect, he opened fire. After that, he noticed three more soldiers in the house and shot them as well. “I looked back—there were three more soldiers there—and I killed them,” Ryzhikov stated. Thus, in this part of his account, he describes the killing of four Ukrainian servicemen. The circumstances surrounding the death of the fifth soldier are important for fully reconstructing the sequence of events and are being established by the investigation.
After the shooting, the Russian man, according to his own account, took a few items and left the house. Later, one of the soldiers ordered him to stop. However, the suspect opened fire and fled. Ryzhikov also said that he saw weapons, body armor, and other military equipment in the house. After the killings, he continued on toward Kharkiv.
What Is Known About the Investigation
The Office of the Prosecutor General has released a video in which the suspect gives his own account of the events. His testimony is part of the case file; however, the final conclusions regarding the circumstances and liability must be determined by the investigation and the court. Law enforcement officials must determine the sequence of events, the circumstances surrounding the deaths of each of the five soldiers and the civilian man, and verify all of the suspect’s statements.
The killing of prisoners of war—provided the victims were in enemy custody and had been removed from combat—as well as intentional attacks on civilians may constitute war crimes. The final legal classification depends on the established circumstances of each incident. The SBU and the prosecutor’s office continue to document the events and gather evidence. The published recording of the interrogation provides insight into the suspect’s account, but does not, in and of itself, replace a full investigation. The video was published by the Office of the Prosecutor General.
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