Russian soldier faces life in prison over alleged killing of 5 Ukrainian troops, civilian in Kharkiv Oblast

A Russian soldier suspected of killing five unarmed Ukrainian service members and a civilian in Kharkiv Oblast on Oct. 13 has been charged with war crimes, Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) reported on Oct. 15.

The suspect was identified as 36-year-old Leonid Ryzhikov, a Russian citizen from St. Petersburg who served in the 2nd Battalion of Russia's 1009th Motorized Rifle Regiment.

According to the SBU, Ryzhikov was mobilized into the Russian army in late July after serving eight years in prison for causing grievous bodily harm and theft. He was subsequently deployed to Russian-occupied territory in Kharkiv Oblast.

On Oct. 5-6, Ryzhikov came under Ukrainian fire near the village of Starytsia and fled his position, the SBU said. Armed with an AK-74 rifle, he began moving toward Kharkiv on foot, hiding in wooded areas. Along the way, he allegedly stole civilian clothes from an abandoned house.

On Oct. 13, Ryzhikov allegedly shot and killed a 60-year-old local resident who was fishing at a pond near the village of Mykhailivka. He then pushed the man's body into the water, according to investigators.

Later that day, the suspect entered a private house in the village of Momotove, where five Ukrainian service members were temporarily staying.

The soldiers were unarmed, dressed in civilian clothes, and were not participating in combat at the time, the SBU said. Ryzhikov allegedly shot all five, some of whom were asleep.

After the killings, he reportedly hid his rifle at a nearby property and continued toward Kharkiv, where he was arrested in the city's Saltivskyi district on Oct. 14.

Law enforcement officers also recovered the AK-74 rifle allegedly used in the killings.

Ryzhikov has been charged with war crimes resulting in deaths under Article 438 of Ukraine's Criminal Code. He faces life imprisonment if convicted.

Investigators are seeking to place him in pretrial detention, while the investigation remains ongoing.

Earlier ,Ukrainian media reports had described the suspect as an escaped Russian prisoner of war. The SBU's later account instead said he fled his Russian position after coming under Ukrainian fire.

The 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade confirmed on Oct. 14 that five of its service members had been killed in the incident.