Security Services of Ukraine issued a suspicion to a Russian soldier for severe violations of the laws and customs of war during taking over Pisky-Radskivski in the Izium district. 

According to the SSU, the suspect is a 22-year-old Stanislav Shmatov, a resident of Samara Oblast.

A probable suspect / Photo: General Prosecutor’s Office

“The SSU’s intelligence intercepted him during his phone call with his father. During the conversation, the occupier bragged about stealing from local residents with other rashists and tortured Ukrainian prisoners. Also, the war criminal told his father about [Russian] artillery and armored vehicles destroying entire streets, along with civilians’ homes,” the SSU said. 

Shmatov was a soldier of the 15th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade, which is a part of the 2nd Guards Combined Arms Army of the Central Military District, the SSU adds. He has been a soldier of the Russian-Ukrainian war since April 2022. Shamtov was a driver and a mechanic for a Russian armored personnel carrier (APC), [from which he was shooting at] the civilian population of Kharkiv oblast.

“…[We] have been shooting at everything: houses, cars, all of it. Destroyed all houses with tanks and APCs. Captured two [people]. Took away their AK-47, a rifle, an SVD [Dragunov sniper’s rifle, — editor’s note]. Cut off one’s ear [because] he didn’t want to talk. And this is normal, actually; he didn’t get a bullet in his head, wasn’t dismembered with APCs, so [this was] soft,” says Shmatov during the intercepted call.

Because of Russian shelling [back then], seven civilians got gunshot wounds, and the same number of houses have been destroyed, the General Prosecutor’s Office reports.

Destroyed houses in Pisky-Radkivski / Photo: Polina Kulish for Gwara Media

The SSU investigators issued a suspicion to the Russian soldier under three laws of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (violation of laws and customs of war committed by a prior conspiracy.) 

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