Military units allegedly responsible for the crimes
While the responsibility of specific military units is not the main focus of this report, we will briefly review information analysed by the Truth Hounds.
A group of officers under the command of “Irbis” (callsign) particularly stood out among the military leadership. This group was engaged in the targeted search and detention of civilians who were enterprise managers, property owners, and holders of significant financial assets. Under torture, they forced these individuals to transfer property and enterprise assets to proxy persons, and to transfer funds from accounts to a designated person residing in Donetsk.
The organisational chart below reveals that this unit operated within a complex command structure, with multiple subordination lines, connecting various operational groups and individuals with callsigns including “Irbis”, “Gambit”, “Atasha”, “Uragan”, “Berkut”, “Bogdan”, “Batia”, and “Aist”.
This group operated not only at the police department on Zhovtneva Street but also at the Baldruk printing house. Notably, later, the Russians themselves “eliminated” two members of this group. According to witness testimony:
“Later, Berkut, Atasha, and Uragan were held at Baldruk [It is assumed this happened somewhere at the end of June]. Atasha hanged himself there, which many people confirmed to me.”
Regarding Gambit, it was said that he was also detained and transferred to another location.
The command structure shown in the diagram indicates a systematic approach to these criminal activities, with clear hierarchical relationships and operational coordination between different units involved in the occupation and exploitation of civilian assets.
Analysis of available information reveals the involvement of multiple Russian military formations and paramilitary groups in the documented crimes. The 64th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade, operating as part of the 35th Combined Arms Army, participated in the large-scale Russian invasion in March 2022, conducting operations in the Kyiv direction. This brigade notably occupied the village of Andriivka in the Bucha district, where service members committed mass killings before subsequently relocating to the city of Bucha.
Additionally, the 4th Company of the 4th Battalion of the 202nd Motor Rifle Regiment of the so-called Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) was deployed in the village of Verbivka. The 126th Regiment of the Russian National Guard was also identified as participating in operations. Paramilitary reconnaissance and sabotage groups included DRG “Chibis” and DRG “Volk”. Furthermore, Rosgvardia units operated under various callsigns, including “Baghdad”, “Aro”, and “Uragan”. In contrast, the identified OMON representative operated under the callsign “Koba”. This diverse composition of regular military units, territorial formations, and specialised paramilitary groups indicates a coordinated multi-agency approach to the occupation and subsequent criminal activities in the affected territories.
The reviewed testimonies indicate that one of the key detention sites, the Balakliia police station, was run mainly by officers from Luhansk, Donetsk, and Chechnya, as well as by FSB officers. Many survivors recognised Luhansk and Donetsk accents among the staff. One of the victims explained that, for instance, officers from Luhansk were forbidden to communicate with the detainees and even transfer cigarettes from a small window. This may have been a measure to avoid identification.
Torture survivors reported that FSB officers often conducted torture. Among the Russian soldiers stationed at the police station who tortured victims, there were some known for their cruelty. Such was an officer known as “Iakut”, allegedly from Donetsk.
According to Reuters’ investigation, Colonel Ivan Popov commanded the Russian military force operating from Balakliia. Many of his senior officers belong to the 11th Army Corps, part of the Russian Navy’s Baltic Fleet. The Colonel also has experience from the armed conflict in Chechnya and the 2008 war in Georgia.
The Guardian confirms that Balakliia forces included FSB agents and military commanders. According to this information, Lt Col Buslov, known to his troops and victims by the nom de guerre of “Granit”, was responsible for keeping the local civilian population in check. He oversaw at least one interrogation centre where civilians were beaten and questioned using electric shocks, according to six former detainees and Ukrainian officials.