Prosecutors of the Kherson Regional Prosecutor's Office have notified in absentia the commander of the special unit "Akhmat" within the Russian National Guard of suspicion. He is accused of cruel treatment of civilians and other violations of the laws and customs of war, committed by a group of individuals in conspiracy (Part 2 of Article 28, Part 1 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

According to the investigation, in 2022, the suspect, along with other Russian units, participated in the occupation of part of the Kherson region. At the same time, they conducted raids on private households and illegally detained civilians, using violence and confiscating their property.

In particular, in November 2022, the suspect, along with accomplices, broke into the yard of a local entrepreneurs' family in Kherson under the pretext of "searching" for the owner. Threatening the woman and her son, he demanded to reveal the father's whereabouts.

Not receiving an answer, the occupier brutally beat the boy with a pistol, dragged him around the yard, and continued to torture him in the presence of his mother. When the father returned, the attackers used his son as a hostage, demanding 80 thousand US dollars for his life. The threat had to be fulfilled — the victim's wife handed over the money.

Returning to the house, the Russian military staged a "search" and claimed to have allegedly found weapons. Threatening criminal liability, they forced the owners to hand over the keys and documents for all vehicles, as well as to sign fictitious "purchase and sale agreements."

As a result, the occupiers illegally seized 12 trucks, 12 trailers, and a boat — foreign property that was in no way necessary for conducting the war. Such actions are a direct violation of international humanitarian law.

Currently, the identity of the squad commander has been established, and the identification of other military personnel involved in the crime is ongoing.

The pre-trial investigation is being conducted by the Security Service of Ukraine in the Kherson region with operational support from the "N" Department of the Security Service of Ukraine's National Statehood Protection Department. The NGO "Global Rights Compliance" provided assistance in gathering evidence.