After retaking areas in eastern Ukraine, Ukrainian authorities said they had found evidence of alleged crimes committed by the Russian occupying forces. Senior Ukrainian police officer Serhiy Bolvinov from the town of Balakliya reported that the invaders had maintained a torture prison at the local police station. During the occupation, which lasted several months, about 40 people were kept locked up in the basement.
“The occupiers took away those who served in the army or had relatives there, and also searched for those who helped the army,” the chief of police of the Kharkiv Police Department wrote on Facebook on Tuesday. According to witnesses, prisoners were tortured with electric shocks.
46 days in torture prison
Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to Ukraine’s interior minister, shared on Twitter a video of a young man reporting that he was being tortured. He was held in appalling conditions for 46 days. “He’s lucky he survived,” Gerashchenko wrote.
Investigators would also have information about murdered townspeople, Bolvinov said. They were shot dead by enemy forces on the last day of the Russian occupation. There are also unverified reports from other places in the region about the discovery of murdered people. After the withdrawal of Russian troops from the Kiev area in the spring, hundreds of dead civilians were discovered there. Despite overwhelming evidence, Moscow denied that Russian soldiers were responsible for the killings and spoke of a Ukrainian staging.
Ukraine expands control
Meanwhile, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine is in full control of more than 4,000 square kilometers of territory recaptured from Russian forces. The country is also stabilizing its control of another 4,000 square kilometers, Zelenskyj said in his daily video address. On Monday, he said Ukraine has recaptured 6,000 square kilometers in its latest counter-offensive.
However, Ukrainian officials point out that it is important to distinguish between conquering territory and ensuring the complete security of that territory. 4000 square kilometers roughly corresponds to the area of Burgenland.
repaid pension
According to President Selenskyj, Ukraine is trying to quickly return to normal life in the recaptured areas. “It is very important that with our troops, with our flag, normal life returns to the areas that are no longer occupied,” Zelenskyy said in his video address on Tuesday evening. As an example, he said that in the liberated city of Balaklija in the Kharkiv region, pensions were paid again for the first time – for five months. “During the occupation, we were unable to make payments.”
Zelenskyy’s other tasks in the area included searching for scattered Russian soldiers and sabotage groups and arresting collaborators. There must be security in the liberated parts of the country.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
