Five Russian soldiers, three Wagner mercenaries charged in absentia with war crimes, say Ukrainian prosecutors

The Russian soldiers are suspected of the murder of the head woman of the village of Motyzhyn in Kyiv Oblast and the torture of civilians, prosecutors said. The soldiers also face charges of premeditated murder.

During the seizure of part of Kyiv Oblast, the suspects are alleged to have robbed civilians, tortured, killed and burned their houses, prosecutors said. They have charged with 14 cases of ill-treatment of civilians. Only three people survived after being tortured by the invaders.

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According to the investigation, the suspects came to the house of the head woman of Motyzhyn in March 2022. They illegally seized the woman, her husband and son, and took them to their base, after which they tortured the prisoners, trying to get information about the Armed Forces of Ukraine and territorial defense units.

Later, in front of the woman, the invaders shot her son in the leg, and later killed him with a shot in the head. The suspects also tortured her husband. All of them died from multiple gunshot wounds.

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Another resident of the village was killed by the suspects only because she wore dark clothes. Her father was captured and kept in a utility room with blindfolded eyes and hands without water and food.

The invaders also tortured to death two members of the non-government organization Patriot, their bodies were found with numerous gunshot wounds.

In addition, the Russian military and Wagner mercenaries detained two volunteers who were trying to bring humanitarian aid to Motyzhyn residents. After interrogations and torture, they were taken to a forest belt and ordered to run, after which they were shot in the back.

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One volunteer died from a shot in the head, another one was wounded by the invaders, and their cars and humanitarian aid were stolen.

As of May 21, police officers in Kyiv Oblast had found and examined 1,290 bodies of people who had died during the hostilities in the region. The investigation of the Russian war crimes continues.

Most of the civilians were killed by the invaders with automatic weapons.