Russian Commander Viktor Bogaturov accused of illegal detention and the torture of civilians in the temporarily occupied Skadovsk
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has issued a notice of suspicion in absentia to Viktor Bogaturov, a Russian commander of the 42nd Separate Operational Purpose Regiment of the Russian National Guard (Rosgvardia) and the occupation commandant of the Skadovsk district, for the cruel treatment of the civilian population, which was reported by the Prosecutor General’s Office.
Suspect Bogaturov. Photo: IRS SouthRussian forces occupied the territory of the Skadovsk District in the Kherson region at the end of February 2022. A month later, in March 2022, they established torture chambers for civilians in Skadovsk, based at the “Slava” children’s health facility and the local police station.
41-year-old Viktor Bogaturov headed the occupation commandant’s office. He directly implemented the repressive policies of the Russians in the city, torturing and intimidating peaceful residents.
The investigation has established several episodes of abuse and torture involving Bogaturov. During the interrogations of civilians, he attempted to obtain information about veterans of the ATO/JFOі , Ukrainian servicemen, the presence of weapons among citizens, and the organization of a municipal guard. When he failed to extract information from the victims, he ordered them to be beaten with fists, kicks and rubber batons.
Investigators established that on March 16, 2022, the Russian officer personally beat a victim in the torso and neck.
The premises where the occupiers illegally held abducted individuals lacked any suitable conditions for human habitation or medical care.
This case follows a previous instance where Serhiy Yevarlak, the occupation “commandant” of the village of Lazurne in the Skadovsk District, was sentenced in absentia by the Velykooleksandrivskyi District Court of the Kherson region to 12 years of imprisonment for mistreating civilians.
