Based on evidence collected by the Security Service, a russian special services officer who committed war crimes during the temporary occupation of Kherson has been sentenced to life imprisonment in absentia.

The convicted individual is Sergei Sinitsyn, an employee of the 9^th directorate of the operational information department of the FSB’s 5^th service, with the call sign Sabir.

As the investigation established, in March 2022 the official, as part of temporary operational group No. 8, arrived in Kherson to organize mass repressions against members of the resistance movement.

To this end, Sinitsyn coordinated the occupation ‘main department of the ministry of internal affairs of russia’ that was set up in Kherson.

According to the investigation, the russian special services officer personally approved ‘personnel appointments’ to the pseudo-institution and led raids by armed russian soldiers on the homes of local residents.

During these raids, people were abducted from their homes and taken to torture chambers in the premises of the local ‘russian MIA’.

There, the victims were beaten, tortured with electric shocks, subjected to simulated executions, and threatened with reprisals against their relatives.

In addition, Sabir was forming his own intelligence networks, into which he tried to recruit former officials and law enforcement officers.

Based on the evidence collected by SSU investigators, the court found the accused guilty under two Articles of the CCU:

• 110.3 (encroachment on the territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine);
• 438.1 (war crimes committed by a group, upon prior conspiracy).

Efforts are underway to bring the culprit to justice for crimes against our state.

The investigation was carried out by the SSU Kherson Office under the procedural supervision of the regional Prosecutor’s Office.