The SSU has collected irrefutable evidence of the guilt of four members of a russian reconnaissance and sabotage group who committed war crimes in Kharkiv region.

During the occupation of Izium district, they performed moscow’s task to identify and physically eliminate participants of the Anti-Terrorist Operation in eastern Ukraine.

The SSU Counterintelligence together with the SSU Special Operations Centre ‘A’ neutralized the enemy group during an operation in October this year.

Four russian saboteurs were detained.

Following the SSU’s investigation, court sentenced each of them to 11 years of imprisonment.

Two of them are officers of the 16th separate special purpose brigade of the main directorate of the general staff of russian armed forces (the GRU).

Another two are mercenaries of a russian private military company.

In early September this year, they abducted three residents of Borova village who had participated in the ATO.

Occupiers kept the abducted men tied up in an earthen pit with bags over their heads.

The victims were subjected to brutal torture and threatened with murder.

In this way, the invaders conducted interrogations and tried to ‘beat out’ information about other Ukrainian patriots.

Based on the collected evidence, court found the accused guilty under Articles 28.2 and 438.1 of the CCU (violation of laws and customs of war, upon prior conspiracy by a group of persons).

The investigation was carried out by the SSU Office in Kharkiv Region under the procedural supervision of Kharkiv Region Prosecutor’s Office.