Under the procedural guidance of the Kherson Regional Prosecutor's Office, three servicemen of the so-called "DNR army corps" have been notified of suspicion in absentia for cruel treatment of civilians (part 2 of article 28, part 1 of article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

According to the investigation, the suspects are servicemen of the "2nd Motorized Rifle Battalion of the 109th Rifle Regiment of the 1st Army Corps of the DNR." In March 2022, while on the temporarily occupied territory of the Kalynivka community in the Beryslav district, they participated in illegal detentions and torture of local residents.

In one instance, arriving at the home of a local resident allegedly to search for ATO participants, the suspects, threatening to shoot, forced the man to open the door. After conducting a search of the premises and the surrounding area, they took him to a seized educational institution, which they used as a place for the illegal detention of people. There, the victim was held for almost two months under inhumane conditions.

During his detention, he was systematically tortured — subjected to physical violence, including having tattoos burned off, beaten to the point of losing consciousness, and interrogated using brutal methods. The man was kept in unsanitary conditions — without lighting, furniture, and with limited access to food, water, and the ability to meet sanitary needs.

Under similar circumstances, the suspects detained other residents of the community for several months. People were unjustly tortured, subjected to psychological and physical violence, threatened with murder, and held in humiliating, exhausting conditions.

The pre-trial investigation is being conducted by the Security Service of Ukraine in the Kherson region, with operational support provided by the staff of the Main Directorate for Combating Corruption and Organized Crime of the SBU in the region and the Main Operational Search Department of the 79th Border Detachment of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.