The occupier who shot a Ukrainian prisoner of war in Kharkiv region has been notified of suspicion

The occupier who shot a Ukrainian prisoner of war in Kharkiv region has been notified of suspicion

The Security Service has gathered evidence against another Russian soldier who participated in the shooting of captured Ukrainian Armed Forces fighters during the Russian forces’ second invasion of the Kharkiv region in 2024. Soon after committing the war crimes, the occupier himself was captured by the Defence Forces and is currently in custody.

The individual in question is a 36-year-old Russian citizen, Sergey Tuzhilov, a rifleman-assault trooper of the 69th Motorized Rifle Division of the 6th Army of the aggressor country. According to the case materials, the criminal has two prior convictions for robbery and drug trafficking.

The investigation established that Tuzhilov participated in battles near Vovchansk in June 2024. During the assault on the local plant, he, along with an accomplice, shot three Ukrainian Armed Forces servicemen who had been taken prisoner.

It has been documented that Tuzhilov personally fired a service weapon shot to the back of the head of a bound Ukrainian soldier.

Furthermore, the criminal chose locations for the execution of two more prisoners and guarded the "perimeter" during the shootings.

All three victims died on the spot as a result of being shot with automatic weapons.

According to the investigation, before the shootings, the Russians tortured the prisoners, tying them to poles.

During new combat encounters, Ukrainian defenders destroyed Tuzhilov’s unit, capturing him as the sole survivor.

During the investigative actions, law enforcement established all the circumstances of the crimes committed by the subject and his accomplices.

Based on the collected evidence, SSU investigators notified Tuzhilov of suspicion under several articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine:

• Part 5 of Art. 27, Part 2 of Art. 28, Part 2 of Art. 438 (complicity in the cruel treatment of a prisoner of war, combined with intentional murder);
• Part 2 of Art. 28, Part 2 of Art. 438 (war crimes, combined with intentional murder, committed by prior conspiracy of a group of individuals).

The offender faces life imprisonment.

Comprehensive measures were carried out by SSU officers in the Kharkiv region under the procedural guidance of the regional prosecutor’s office.