Identification of the suspect
The Office of the Prosecutor General released a video recording of the interrogation of 36-year-old Russian citizen Leonid Ryzhikov. The man, who resides in Saint Petersburg, used the callsign "Yula" while serving in the Russian army. He was serving in the 2nd Battalion of the 1009th Motor Rifle Regiment of the 68th Motor Rifle Division of the 6th Combined Arms Army of the Russian Federation.
Circumstances of arrival at the front
According to the Security Service of Ukraine, Ryzhikov was mobilised at the end of July 2026. Prior to this, he had served eight years in prison for intentional infliction of grievous bodily harm and theft. After mobilisation, he was sent to the temporarily occupied territory of Chuhuiv district in Kharkiv region.
The investigation established that on 5–6 October, near the village of Starytsia, the Russian soldier came under fire from Ukrainian defenders. After this, Ryzhikov fled his positions, carrying an AK-74 assault rifle.
Confession to the murder of a civilian
During the interrogation, the Russian soldier stated that on 13 October he noticed a fisherman near a body of water. Initially, the distance between them was about 20 metres, but it later shortened to three metres. The suspect admitted that he was afraid of being exposed and committed the crime.
«Я злякався, що він мене зараз здасть, і все, я його вбив» (I was afraid that he would give me up right now, and so, I killed him), Ryzhikov stated.
He took out his assault rifle and shot the 60-year-old man at close range. After the shot, the victim fell near the water, and the Russian soldier pushed the body into the water.
Execution of Ukrainian Armed Forces servicemen
Ryzhikov also described in detail the murder of five fighters from the 72nd Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. After killing the fisherman, he entered a building where Ukrainian soldiers were located. According to him, one of the men ran out of the premises, and when he returned five to ten minutes later, he was shot by the Russian soldier.
«Я озирнувся назад, там ще троє військових, я їх убив» (I looked back, there were three more soldiers, I killed them), the Russian said.
After committing the crimes, Ryzhikov took some items and left the building. When one of the servicemen ordered him to stop, the Russian soldier opened fire and fled. During the interrogation, he also mentioned that he had seen weapons, body armour, and other military equipment in the building. In response to a question about his actions after the murders, Ryzhikov replied that he continued moving in the direction of Kharkiv.
Comments
No comments yet. Be the first!