Ukrainian Military Uncovers Evidence of Civilian Torture on Russian Soldier’s Phone

The Ukrainian Third Separate Assault Brigade has uncovered evidence of war crimes committed by Russian soldiers in the town of Nevske, in the temporarily occupied Luhansk region.

The evidence, found on December 23 on the phone of Russian soldier Oleg Rudakov, call sign ‘Rudik,’ includes video recordings of him ordering the shooting and torture of local civilians.

In one of the videos, Rudakov is seen communicating with another Russian soldier, identified by the call sign ‘Lawyer.’ Rudakov orders his subordinate to “bind all the locals” and then force them into a basement.

The investigation also revealed intercepted radio transmissions from Rudakov’s group as they entered Nevske. These conversations included orders to conduct a “clean-up,” a term meaning the elimination of the town’s population.

Further examination revealed that Rudakov had a criminal record, with multiple prior convictions. Ukrainian Forces reached out to his father, who confirmed that his son had not been in contact for three months, after returning to the front line in the Russia’s war against Ukraine.

The Ukrainian forces indicated that these findings could be used as crucial evidence in international courts, potentially strengthening cases related to war crimes committed by Russian soldiers in Ukraine.

Earlier, on November 10, Russian soldiers opened fire on a civilian woman walking in the village of Terny, Donetsk region, killing her instantly. Ukrainian law enforcement has launched an investigation into the murder, with the Donetsk Regional Prosecutor’s Office overseeing the case. The investigation focuses on violations of the laws of war and premeditated murder.