A man was severely beaten to near death; a Russian citizen is set to face trial for this assault on someone suffering from advanced cancer.

A citizen of the Russian Federation will be tried in absentia in Kharkiv region. The investigation has gathered evidence that during the occupation of territories in the northern part of the region, he tortured people, including a man suffering from cancer.

The man hails from the Belgorod region but had been living in the border village of Strelecha in Kharkiv region for the past few years. During the full-scale war, he served as the head of the self-proclaimed people's police in the then-occupied territory of the Lypetska community, writes the Kharkiv regional prosecutor's office.

The man was aware of whom among the locals needed to be "educated" for their pro-Ukrainian stance. Russian military personnel detained individuals and took them to torture chambers set up in the building of the "Hoptivka" checkpoint and in the basement of a multi-story building in Strelecha. The occupiers, along with the accused, beat people with rubber batons, used a stun gun, and struck them on the head with a wooden mallet. They also poured water over the victims' faces through a towel, thereby obstructing their access to air. The accused cynically referred to this execution as a "bath day."

Additionally, the accused forced the victims to participate in "military games," which involved dressing up as border guards or police officers and completing specific tasks. The detainees were fed scraps after the Russian military.

“One of the victims of the Russian terrorists was a civilian man suffering from cancer, who was in a severe stage of the disease. The accused, disregarding everything, beat him nearly to death, attempting to "extract" information about the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Such hatred towards the victim stemmed from the fact that his son is a Ukrainian serviceman,” the prosecutor's office reported.

The 41-year-old accused is wanted. He will be tried in absentia at the Derhachi District Court of Kharkiv region for cruel treatment of civilians, committed in conspiracy by a group of individuals (part 2 of article 28, part 1 of article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). The penalty for this article provides for imprisonment for a term of 8 to 12 years.