The “LPR” commander, who carved the letter Z on the forehead of a prisoner, was served with a suspicion notice in absentia: he faces
3 November 16:57
Ukrainian law enforcement officers served a notice of suspicion in absentia to collaborator Vladimir Polupoltinnykh, who tortured a Ukrainian prisoner of war by carving the letter Z, the symbol of the Russian invasion, on his forehead.
This was reported by theSecurity Service of Ukraine and the Office of the Prosecutor General, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
Polupoltynnykh is the commander of the 6th separate motorized rifle Cossack regiment of the LPR, created by the Russians, which is part of the troops of the Southern Military District of the Russian Federation.
What is known about the investigation
According to the SBU, the incident occurred on June 10, 2022, in the temporarily occupied Pervomaisk, Luhansk region.
Polupoltinnykh ordered the torture of Ukrainian prisoners and then personally participated in the torture.
During one of the episodes, he carved the letter Z on the prisoner’s forehead with a knife, beat him on the head and torso, humiliated and intimidated him.
The collaborator also cut both of the prisoner’s ears, pretending to cut them off, the agency said.
Who is Polupoltinnykh?
Polupoltinnykh is a resident of the occupied part of Luhansk region.
Back in 2014, he joined pro-Russian armed groups and has been participating in hostilities against Ukraine since then.
After the start of the full-scale invasion, he became one of the commanders of an illegal regiment created under the auspices of the Russian occupation forces.
Legal qualifications
Investigators notified Polupoltinnykh in absentia of suspicion under:
- part 1 of Article 28, Part 1 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code – violation of the laws and customs of war committed by a group of persons.
This is a violation of the Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War, which prohibits any act that endangers the life or health of persons in captivity.
The collaborator faces up to 12 years in prison.
The torture of Ukrainian prisoners of war by Russian forces is a documented and systematic character of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
The UN, Human Rights Watch, and Ukrainian law enforcement agencies have repeatedly documented cases of ill-treatment, including beatings, electric shocks, and mock executions.
Hundreds of war crimes are being investigated in Ukraine, including violations of the rights of prisoners of war.
