The Security Service has collected evidence against a russian occupier who shot two civilians in Kharkiv region in October 2024 and was later captured by the Defense Forces.

At that time, Ukrainian defenders took him prisoner as a survivor of a battle on Kupiansk direction.

The perpetrator is 21-year-old russian citizen Artem Kulikov, who had previously served time for robbery and theft. He was mobilized directly from a russian prison to the 23^rd motorized rifle brigade of the aggressor state.

According to the investigation, after taking up combat positions near one of the villages in Kupiansk district the russian forces began mopping-up operation in the settlement.

On that day, Kulikov and an accomplice imprisoned two local residents who were helping a fellow villager evacuate to Ukraine-controlled territory.

The occupiers tried to beat out of the victims information about the locations of Ukrainian troops.

Having failed to obtain any data, Kulikov shot the two men at point-blank with his assault rifle right in the house of their fellow villager.

The russian fired eight bullets at them, killing the victims at the scene.

During the interrogation of the captive, it was found that the russian military command regularly orders its subordinates to kill civilians in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.

Based on the evidence, SSU investigators notified Kulikov of suspicion under Articles 28.2 and 438.2 of the CCU (war crimes combined with intentional murder, committed by a group, upon prior conspiracy).

The indictment against the enemy serviceman has been sent to court.

The suspect faces life imprisonment.

The investigation was carried out by the SSU Office in Kharkiv region under the procedural supervision of the regional Prosecutor’s Office.