The Security Service of Ukraine has collected evidence on another five russian military servicemen involved in the murder of three Ukrainian prisoners of war in Vovchansk, Kharkiv region, in summer 2024.

These ruscists shot unarmed Ukrainian defenders on the premises of a local Aggregate Plant at that time.

Based on evidence from the SSU, one of the perpetrators, russian citizen Sergei Tuzhilov (call sign ‘Altai’), was previously sentenced to life imprisonment. He personally killed one Ukrainian soldier with an automatic weapon and helped organise the executions of two others.

The crimes of five more of his accomplices have now been documented. All of them served in the 82nd motorised rifle regiment of russia’s 69th motorised rifle division. They are:

• major Oleg Dorokhov (call sign ‘Yenot’), the battalion commander who ordered the killing of prisoners;
• private Mykhail Pasenko (call sign ‘Krasavchik’), leader of the group at the plant who relayed these orders to those carrying them out;
• junior sergeant Georgiy Tarnopolskyi (call sign ‘Cat’), who personally killed two Ukrainian defenders;
• private Ruslan Kabanov (call sign ‘Koba’) and private Vladyslav Bortsov (call sign ‘Voodoo’) provided cover for those carrying out the execution of the two prisoners of war.

The investigation established that, in June 2024, the russian invaders first interrogated and then killed a prisoner of war on the plant premises temporarily occupied by the enemy.

The Ukrainian soldier was taken to a checkpoint near the factory’s administrative building, where he was shot in the head.

Two weeks later, the occupiers captured two more Ukrainian defenders. They were taken to the factory, where they were interrogated and tied to pillars inside the administrative building.

On 3 July 2024, the bound soldiers were taken to a utility room and shot in the back of the head.

SSU investigators have declared all five perpetrators suspects in absentia for violating the laws and customs of war and intentionally murdering a person (Article 438.2 of the CCU).

The actions of two of the suspects have been classified as aiding and abetting a crime committed by a group of persons by prior conspiracy.

Efforts to bring the suspects to prosecution are ongoing.

The investigation is conducted by the SSU Office in the Kharkiv region under the procedural supervision of the regional Prosecutor’s Office.