The occupier threatened civilians with execution and forced them to follow orders
The Osnovianskyi District Court of Kharkiv sentenced Russian serviceman Oleksandr Erzin to 10 years in prison. He was found guilty of violating the laws and customs of war against the civilian population. This was reported by Book of Torturers, according to the portal PromPolitInform.
The court ruling was issued on August 14, 2026, under Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The defendant, a citizen of the Russian Federation Oleksandr Erzin, was a rifleman of the 121st Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 68th Motorized Rifle Division of the 6th Army of the Russian Armed Forces before being captured in September 2025.
Details of the war crime
According to case file No. 22025220090000992, the occupier established a firing position inside a police station building in Kupyansk. There, he encountered two local women and forced them to obey his commands under the threat of using firearms.
The Russian soldier interrogated the women about their personal data and their reasons for being near the administrative building. Under threat of execution, he forced one of the victims to bring him food, while the other remained under armed guard. The criminal learned their home addresses and demanded regular food supplies, threatening to kill them if they refused.
Court verdict
When the women returned to the police station a week later with the food, the occupier had already been taken prisoner by the Ukrainian Defense Forces. During the court proceedings, the defendant pleaded guilty, which was considered a mitigating circumstance.
The court imposed a sentence of ten years of imprisonment under Part 1 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The verdict was based on evidence collected during the pre-trial investigation.
Photo: Book of Torturers
