Torture and castration of a Ukrainian POW in Pryvillia
Video of torture and castration of a Ukrainian POW by Russian troops.
In July 2022, video recordings showing the torture, castration and murder of a Ukrainian prisoner of war by Russian servicemen at a sanatorium in Pryvillia were published online. The footage, which emerged during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, prompted international outcry and condemnation from human rights bodies. Ukrainian and US representatives stated that the event constitutes a war crime.
Quick Facts
- Date of video publication
- July 28, 2022
- Location
- Pryvillia Sanatorium, Pryvillia, Luhansk Oblast
- Victim
- Ukrainian prisoner of war (identity unclear)
- Perpetrator identified
- Ochur-Suge Mongush from Tuva
- Perpetrator's unit
- Akhmat unit (Chechen Kadyrovite paramilitary formation)
- Investigating group
- Bellingcat
- Geolocation confirmed
- 5 August 2022
Facts from the source article.
Emergence of the video
On July 28, 2022, a video was posted on a Russian Telegram page showing a Russian soldier torturing and castrating a Ukrainian prisoner of war. The victim's identity is unclear. The high-quality footage features extreme violence. The victim is repeatedly stomped unconscious, then mocked, restrained, bound, and gagged by Russian troops. A short, stocky soldier wearing a wide-brimmed sequinned hat and blue surgical gloves uses a box-cutting knife to cut through the victim's trousers and expose his genitals. The unconscious victim's genitals are removed, and the soldier holds them up to the camera. The following day, an alleged continuation video appeared on Russian channels. The same soldier and prisoner are shown; the victim, lapsing in and out of consciousness, has his mouth taped with black tape, and the severed genitals are thrown toward his face. The group drags the victim by a rope tied to his legs to a small ditch, where the soldier shoots him in the head.
Bellingcat investigation
On 5 August, Bellingcat geolocated the videos to the Pryvillia Sanatorium in Pryvillia, Luhansk Oblast, and interviewed the apparent perpetrator by telephone. A white car marked with a Z, also seen in earlier official Russian videos of Akhmat fighters at the Azot plant during the capture of Sievierodonetsk, appears in the footage. Bellingcat and Conflict Intelligence Team identified the soldiers, including the main perpetrator Ochur-Suge Mongush from Tuva, who wore a distinctive wide-brimmed black hat, as members of the Akhmat unit, a Chechen Kadyrovite paramilitary formation. The investigation found no evidence of tampering or editing in the video.
Reactions
Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets applied to the Office of the Prosecutor-General of Ukraine to verify a war crime under the Geneva Conventions, and stated they would ask the UN Committee Against Torture to organize an urgent visit to Russia and Russian-occupied territories, as well as the Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture. EU High Representative Josep Borrell described the video's contents as appalling and a heinous atrocity. Marie Struthers of Amnesty International called the assault a horrific apparent example of disregard for human life by Russian forces, urging investigation and prosecution. The United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine released a statement on Facebook.
More in Castrated People
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced