Kyiv has identified Russian officers involved in war crimes against civilians in Mykolaiv Oblast and convicted them in absentia, Ukraine's Defense Intelligence reports. In 2022, units of Russia’s 108th Air Assault Regiment, part of the 7th Air Assault Division, operated in the region.
Law enforcement identified three Russian officers involved in crimes committed in the village of Novopetrivka, Bashtanka district:
- Araltan Andreyevich Mandzhiyev, born 1989
- Konstantin Vyacheslavovich Makin, born 1986
- Viktor Viktorovich Klimenko, born 1977
The investigation proved that they unlawfully deprived people of their liberty, inflicted severe bodily harm, staged mock executions, and used various forms of torture.
Execution after torture in Novopetrivka became a key episode of the case
In March 2022, officers Klimenko and Mandzhiyev detained two unarmed local residents. One of them, the husband of the head of the local territorial community, was subjected to particularly brutal treatment.
After several days of torture, he was executed on the order of Mandzhiyev, which became one of the key pieces of evidence in the criminal proceedings.
Life imprisonment and a 12-year sentence, even without physical presence in court
After reviewing the collected evidence, the Snihurivka District Court of Mykolaiv Oblast issued verdicts in absentia:
- Mandzhiyev received life imprisonment
- Klimenko received 12 years in prison
Efforts to identify and prosecute other war criminals are ongoing.
“For every war crime committed against the Ukrainian people, there will be just retribution,” Ukraine's Defense Intelligence emphasizes.
