SBU: 57 collaborators involved in the torture of Ukrainians in Kherson Oblast identified

An investigation revealed the identities of 57 Ukrainians who collaborated with Russian forces to detain and torture local civilians in Kherson Oblast, Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) reported on Oct. 16.

The collaborators were allegedly recruited directly by Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB), provided with weapons and uniforms, and given free rein to arbitrarily detain local residents of Kherson Oblast.

Those who were detained were often tortured by Russian forces and their Ukrainian collaborators. According to the SBU, the torture included the use of electric shocks and extended deprivation of water.

The SBU alleges that torture was used as a means of eliciting confessions, particularly of working with the Ukrainian government or being involved in local partisan movements.

The named individuals are thought to be located in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine, the SBU noted, but stressed that "comprehensive measures are underway to bring them to justice."

According to a report compiled by Western lawyers in August 2023, almost half of the Ukrainians held in Russian detention centers in Kherson Oblast during the occupation were tortured, with many also subjected to sexual violence.

Ukrainian troops liberated the city of Kherson and other settlements on the west bank of the Dnipro River in November 2022. The part of Kherson Oblast located on the river's east bank remains under Russian occupation.

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