SBU detains Kherson collaborator who helped Russian forces to torture locals
Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) reported on Aug. 8 that it had detained a collaborator in Kherson who purportedly took part in the Russian repressions against locals during the city's occupation.
The suspect voluntarily cooperated with Russian forces when they invaded Kherson last year and was given a job at a local detention facility, according to the SBU. He escorted kidnapped Ukrainians to the prison cells, where they were then tortured.
The investigation revealed that the alleged collaborator had beaten the prisoners, confiscated their personal belongings, and kept them without food and water "for a long time."
"While using physical violence against the victims, the collaborator repeatedly threatened to kill them," the SBU wrote on Telegram. "In this way, the Rashists (Russian forces and their supporters) tried to intimidate the residents and 'break' the fighting spirit of the resistance movement members."
Igor Kossov
After the liberation of Kherson, the suspect went into hiding, trying to avoid justice, but the SBU eventually found him.
The law enforcement officers searched his residence, where they reportedly found documents confirming that he cooperated with Russian occupation forces, applied for Russian citizenship, and gave a "loyalty oath" to Russia.
If convicted, the suspect may face up to 15 years in prison.
According to the Aug. 2 report compiled by Western lawyers, almost half of 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.
