Russian security forces kidnapped five teenagers from Melitopol, accusing them of “sabotage activities” and cooperation with the SBU. The Russians tortured them and killed two of them, said the head of the Center for the Study of Occupation, Pyotr Andryushchenko, citing RIA-Pivden..

Thanks to the Radio Liberty project “How are you? " At the time of detention in the fall of 2023, Viktor and Denis were 16 years old, and Oleg was 17 years old.. According to human rights activists and a copy of a Russian court ruling, the guys were accused of “organizing a terrorist group,” “preparing sabotage,” and “manufacturing explosives.”.

After the boys were detained, Russian propaganda distributed a video where teenagers were forced to read out a prepared text about “planting explosives” and “connections with the Ukrainian side.”. According to the occupiers, the guys allegedly transmitted coordinates, which made it possible to strike the Hunter's Halt complex, where the Russian military were located.

After the arrest, three teenagers were taken to Russia and placed in pre-trial detention center No. 2 in Taganrog. This FSB pre-trial detention center is known as one of the most cruel places of detention, where prisoners are systematically beaten and tortured.

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According to lawyer Ekaterina Bobrovskaya, who is accompanying this case, Viktor Azarovsky was beaten, not allowed to sleep and denied medication.

" He stopped eating and talking. Investigators tried to get 'connections with the SBU' out of him,” said Ekaterina Bobrovskaya.

Because of the torture, the guy began to have serious health problems: he hardly slept, could not eat, and the skin on his hands was covered with thick crusts.. However, not a single appeal to doctors yielded results..

Two other teenagers, Pavel Grimak and Daniil Dakhov, probably died before being transferred to Russian territory, as reported by RIA Pivden sources..

Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Maryana Betsa also mentioned the names of the murdered teenagers during the debate on the eve of the UN General Assembly. She confirmed that they were killed while in custody and subjected to torture.

The Russian occupiers informed the parents of Pavel and Daniil about their death, providing only the results of a “DNA examination”. However, the bodies have still not been handed over to the families, which, according to human rights activists, is confirmation that they were tortured to death by Russian security forces.

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A similar incident occurred in temporarily occupied Berdyansk. On the night of September 30, 2022, the Russian military kidnapped 16-year-old Tigran Hovhannisyan. During interrogations, the Russians tortured the guy with electric shocks and simulated execution. At the end of September, the occupiers came to search 16-year-old Nikita Khanganov. Two weeks later, Nikita and his father were taken away and taken to the police station.. Since then, Russian troops have regularly interrogated teenagers and conducted searches in their homes..

Investigators of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation were preparing a case for court, accusing Nikita and Tigran of allegedly preparing sabotage on the railway. Then they were allegedly returned home, but later human rights activists learned that the guys were killed by snipers. Nikita was shot in the head, and Tigran - in the heart. On July 19, the President of Ukraine awarded two teenagers from Berdyansk with the Order of Freedom (posthumously).