The Security Service of Ukraine has collected evidence against three russian war criminals involved in mass repressions against civilians in the temporarily occupied part of Zaporizhzhia region.

One of them is the military prosecutor of the russian occupation administration in Berdiansk, colonel Oleksandr Korneev, and two of his subordinates:

• Yevhen Svistunov – deputy prosecutor of the occupation administration;
• Denys Shekhovets – head of the investigation unit of the russian occupation grouping.

According to the investigation, they organized separate groups of ruscists who abducted residents of the temporarily occupied city.

The occupiers called this ‘mopping up’ of the civilian population to identify and imprison members of the resistance movement.

These units included representatives of the russian intelligence services, the russian guard and local collaborators who provided the addresses of Ukrainian patriots.

The imprisoned people were subjected to severe torture with the use of electric current, they were left without food and water for long periods of time.

In most cases, Korneev and his subordinates personally participated in raids on the homes of Berdiansk residents, kidnapping and torturing them.

In this way, the occupiers tried to force the victims to cooperate with the occupation administration of the aggressor state.

Based on the evidence, the SSU served Korneev, Svistunov and Shekhovets suspicion notices in absentia under Articles 28.2, 438.1 of the CCU (violation of laws and customs of war, committed by a group, upon prior conspiracy).

Efforts are underway to hold them to account for their crimes against Ukraine.

The investigation was carried out by the SSU Offices in Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv regions under the procedural supervision of the prosecutor’s office.