The Russian military organized torture and concentration camps for residents in Balakliya, Izyum District, Kharkiv Region, where they kept at least 40 people as captives, periodically torturing them.
According to Serhiy Bolvinov, the head of the investigation department of the primary department of the National Police of Kharkiv Region, the Russians organized a headquarters in the “police” department in the now liberated city. Writing on social media on September 13, Bolvinov added that Russian occupiers set up a prison and a torture chamber for residents in the department’s basement and the building opposite. They held at least 40 people as captives all the time.
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The Russian occupiers used local collaborators to try and find people who served or had relatives in the Ukrainian army. They were also looking for people who helped the Ukrainian military to destroy Russian militants and weapon depots.
“One man was in this Russian “prison” for 46 days – investigators found a photo of his brother in a Ukrainian military uniform,” he wrote.
He noted that, according to witnesses, they were tortured differently. “I will not describe all the tortures. I will only say that the “easiest” was when they were beaten with electricity,” Bolvinov wrote on his Facebook page.
Investigators also have information about residents who were murdered. On the last day of the occupation, before the Ukrainian military liberated the city, they were shot at checkpoints by Russian occupiers – all the details are still being clarified.
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“Today, together with journalists from all over the world and employees of the National Police, we are covering the tragedy of Balakliya because the whole world should know about the atrocities of Russian militants,” Bolvinov added.
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