The “Book of Executioners of the Ukrainian People” russian-torturers.org project publishes the details of staff members directly involved in the torture of prisoners of war and civilians in these facilities.
On Wednesday, October 21, 2026, russia released 74-year-old US citizen Stephen Hubbard from captivity. The occupiers seized him on April 2, 2022, in the temporarily occupied city of Izium in Kharkiv Oblast. Two and a half years later, in October 2024, the Moscow City Court sentenced him to six years and 10 months in a penal colony on charges of “mercenarism” (Part 3, Article 359 of the russian Criminal Code). According to the occupiers, the US citizen, who had lived in Ukraine since 2014 and taught English, joined the Izium territorial defense in February 2022.
Hubbard was released at the request of Donald Trump during a Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff visit to St. Petersburg.
This is reported by the “Book of Torturers of the Ukrainian People” project (russian-torturers.org), according to the PromPolitInform portal.
Before his sentencing, Hubbard was held in SIZO No. 2 (pretrial detention center) in Novozybkov, Bryansk Oblast, and in Penal Colony No. 7 in Pakino, Vladimir Oblast. There, like Ukrainian prisoners, he was subjected to torture. According to his cellmate, released Ukrainian prisoner of war Ihor Shyshko, the American was beaten with sticks, batons and boots, shocked with a stun gun, set upon by dogs, starved, forced to crawl along corridors and even made to simulate sexual acts. Hubbard’s situation was made worse by the fact that he is a US citizen and did not speak russian, for which FSIN staff abused him even more.
The “Book of Executioners of the Ukrainian People” russian-torturers.org project publishes the details of staff members directly involved in the torture of prisoners of war and civilians in these facilities.
Novozybkov, SIZO No. 2
Hubbard was held in the Federal Government Institution SIZO No. 2 of the FSIN Directorate for Bryansk Oblast (Novozybkov, 9 Krasnaya Ploshchad St.) from approximately September 2022 to May 2023.
Released prisoners describe numerous cases of torture in this facility, including beatings during “intake,” interrogations and roll calls, attacks by dogs, and stun gun shocks. People were forced to scrub tattoos off their bodies, learn the russian anthem and shout “Glory to russia.” The lights in the cells were never turned off, food portions were about 200 grams, and people lost 20 kg or more. Guards greeted prisoners with the phrase “Welcome to Buchenwald,” journalist Dmytro Khyliuk recalled. At least three Ukrainians are known to have died in this SIZO.
Pakino, Penal Colony No. 7
Hubbard was held in the Federal Government Institution Penal Colony No. 7 of the FSIN Directorate for Vladimir Oblast (Kovrov District, Pakino village, 1-A Tsentralnaya St.) from May 2023 until spring 2024.
Those released from IK-7 say that colony staff beat inmates twice a day during roll calls and resorted to torture, including beating the soles of the feet with sticks (a form of torture known as “bastinado”), suffocation with plastic bags, forcing people to crawl across tiled floors, and rape with foreign objects. Prisoners were starved: a plate might contain a few grains of pearl barley, and potato peelings instead of potatoes. Scabies was treated with brilliant green, and the medic advised praying. At least three Ukrainians are known to have died in this colony.
russian media name Penal Colony IK-12 in Mordovia as Hubbard’s last place of imprisonment. The “Book of Executioners” is still verifying this information.
List of identified individuals involved in the torture of Ukrainians in these facilities
Below we publish the details of officials of russia’s Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN), as well as other individuals involved in the unlawful detention, torture and cruel treatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war in Penal Colony No. 7 (Pakino, Vladimir Oblast) and Pretrial Detention Center No. 2 (Novozybkov, Bryansk Oblast).
- Major General Girichev Aleksey Ivanovich https://russian-torturers.org/en/profile/3170 headed the FSIN Directorate for Vladimir Oblast from 02.03.2020 to 06.03.2023.
- Colonel Mishanov Aleksey Aleksandrovich https://russian-torturers.org/en/profile/3166 was acting head of the FSIN Directorate for Vladimir Oblast from 03.2023 to 10.2023.
- Colonel Chudin Aleksei Vladimirovich https://russian-torturers.org/en/profile/3169 was acting head of the FSIN Directorate for Vladimir Oblast from 12.2023 to 03.2024.
- Colonel Shek Aleksandr Vasilyevich https://russian-torturers.org/en/profile/3168 has headed the FSIN Directorate for Vladimir Oblast since April 2024.
- Lieutenant Colonel Zaidullin Bakhtiyar Mirverdirovich https://russian-torturers.org/en/profile/3528 is the head of Penal Colony No. 7.
- Lieutenant Colonel Gorbunov Denis Andreyevich https://russian-torturers.org/en/profile/3529 was head of Penal Colony No. 7 before Zaidullin.
- Lieutenant Colonel Khavetsky Aleksey Viktorovich https://russian-torturers.org/en/profile/3434 — deputy head of the colony for security and operational work. In January 2025, the SBU served him a notice of suspicion of committing war crimes as part of a group acting in prior conspiracy. According to investigators, he was involved in the abuse of prisoners from at least May 2023 to February 2024.
- Mukhin Aleksei Mikhailovich (details being verified) — deputy head of the colony for guard duty.
- Torokhov Vladimir Sergeyevich (details being verified) — head of the operations department.
- Napalkov Vadim Vladimirovich (details being verified) — deputy head of the guard department.
- Levshin Andrey Mikhailovich https://russian-torturers.org/en/profile/3535 — head of the “Medical Unit No. 7” branch of FSIN Medical and Sanitary Unit No. 33 (from at least 03.2019 to 09.2023). Likely responsible for the denial of medical care to Ukrainian prisoners.
- Belov Yaroslav Aleksandrovich (details being verified) — a Russian convict serving his sentence in the colony who cooperated with the administration and took part in abusing prisoners.
- Colonel Gerasimov Sergey Ermagenovich https://russian-torturers.org/en/profile/3167 headed the FSIN Directorate for Bryansk Oblast from September 2020 to April 2024.
- Colonel Mishanov Aleksey Aleksandrovich https://russian-torturers.org/en/profile/3166 has headed the FSIN Directorate for Bryansk Oblast since 22.04.2024.
- Colonel Nesterov Dmitry Ivanovich https://russian-torturers.org/en/profile/3416 — has headed SIZO No. 2 since October 2012.
- Kovalev Anatoly (details being verified) — as of 2022, served as deputy head of the SIZO for security and operational work.
- Nosov Oleg (details being verified) — current deputy head of the SIZO for security and operational work.
- Prishchep Aleksei (details being verified) — deputy head of the SIZO for guard duty.
- Warrant Officer Kuzyakin Oleg (details being verified) — block guard. Ukrainian military intelligence has established his involvement in the torture and beating of prisoners.
- Colonel Sedrisev Vasiliy Vasilyevich https://russian-torturers.org/en/profile/3147 has headed the FSIN Directorate for the Republic of Mordovia since July 2021.
