Ukraine to try in absentia 15 Russian military for brutal treatment of Yahidne residents in Chernihiv region

18:27, 04.04.2023 1 min read

Ukrainian law enforcers have completed a special investigation and sent to court materials on charges of 15 Russian servicemen who mistreated civilians during the occupation of Chernihiv region, the Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) has said.

"Prosecutors of Chernihiv Regional Prosecutor's Office filed an indictment against 15 Russian servicemen for violating the laws and customs of war (Part 1 of Article 28, Part 1 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine)," it said on the Telegram channel on Tuesday.

According to the PGO, the investigation found that at the beginning of March 2022 in the occupied village of Yahidne, Chernihiv region, the Russian armed military deprived of liberty and forcibly kept 368 people, including 69 minors, in the basement of the local school as human shields.

"Local residents were used to cover the command post from possible offensive actions by the Armed Forces of Ukraine," it said.

The special pre-trial investigation was conducted by the SBU.