Russian General Told Wife How He Tortured and Killed Ukrainian Prisoners of War

The Ukrainian and Russian-language investigative projects of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty: "Schemes" and "System" published material about the torture of Ukrainian Armed Forces prisoners, which 49-year-old Major General Roman Demurchiev boasted about. He is currently the deputy commander of the 20th Combined Arms Army.

Journalists gained access to Demurchiev's personal correspondence thanks to a source in the Ukrainian army. It is not specified which messenger Demurchiev used for his correspondence.

Caution: the information published below may be shocking

Having studied the archive received for 2022-2024, the investigators found out that Demurchiev told colleagues and relatives about the torture and killings of Ukrainian prisoners of war.

Thus, on October 18, 2022, Demurchiev reported that he "took a stronghold" that he had stormed for three days, and as a result, captured four Ukrainians. After this, he sent his wife a photo of severed and blackened human ears, hung on a metal pipe.

Journalists also established that Demurchiev discussed with an interlocutor, whom he referred to as "Greek" (judging by the context, this is a military counterintelligence officer named Roman), that the general had a new "gift" — a Ukrainian prisoner of war.

— I have one prisoner <…> I can give him to you as a gift. He's sitting there, in the pit <…> What should I do with him: dispose of him or give him to you? — the general asks the counterintelligence officer in October 2023.

"Greek" agrees to take the prisoner, but Demurchiev clarifies:

— We didn't have time to just torture him, so the information is amicable... But you have plenty of time; you can use various tools that force a person to tell the truth.

Journalists identified the prisoner of war — he is a volunteer from Zaporizhzhia, who was 40 years old at the time of capture. The AFU serviceman spent one year and ten months in captivity. He was held in a pre-trial detention center in Altai. In the summer of 2025, the man was exchanged and returned home to Ukraine.

Also, "Greek" himself sent prisoners to Demurchiev with a request to get rid of them, in such a way that no one would find out. He wrote to the general in August 2023:

— There's a matter. Secret, — "Greek" reports. — There are a few f***ers (detainees with evidence of crimes at hideouts). Real members of the residency... But they cannot be handed over for a trial. There's a proposal to give them to you for a couple of days to work as trench diggers... And then leave them there. Forever.

In December 2024, a video from a thermal imaging drone appeared in Demurchiev's correspondence, showing Russian soldiers, former prisoners, hacking three Ukrainians to death with sapper shovels after the latter had raised their hands and surrendered.

Here is such a dialogue from one of the voice messages:

— Well, I reported to you. Two "zeks" (convicts/prisoners) entered the stronghold, the position — three khokhols [a derogatory term for Ukrainians]. They took them prisoner and hacked them to death with shovels, f***ing animals, goddammit. Look there, f***, punishment with sapper shovels, f***, — says Demurchiev.

"Schemes" identified the unit in which these zeks served — "Black Mamba" of the 252nd Motorized Rifle Regiment, part of the 3rd Division of the 20th Combined Arms Army of the Russian Federation. The identities of the killed AFU prisoners were also determined, but they are not included in the material.

Moreover, Demurchiev showed the video of the killing of the prisoners to his direct superior, the commander of the 20th Army, General Oleg Mityaev, who stated:

— Zeks who took the point, hacked them with shovels, if they survive, they must be nominated for an award. Slowly push them back, good job. <…> Well done, crush them, crush the bastards, f***.

Павялічыць

In 2023, Vladimir Putin awarded Demurchiev the rank of Major General. The general also received the "We Are Nearby. Good Deed" award from the governor of the Moscow region, Andrey Vorobyov, and an order from the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov. Despite the award from Kadyrov, Demurchiev called Chechen fighters "cowards and PR specialists" in his correspondence, saying that "only Slavs show results."

Journalists called Demurchiev, but after they asked him a question, he hung up. The Russian Ministry of Defense did not respond to the investigators' request.

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