Russian Soldier Accused of Sexual Assault of Kherson Man
Civilian was among residents held and tortured during the first weeks of the occupation.
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A Russian soldier is to stand trial for the kidnap, torture and sexual abuse of a local man during the occupation of the Kherson region.
Roman Popov, a 24-year-old private in the 50th Separate Operational Purpose Brigade of the Russian National Guard, is from the city of Bila Kalytva in Russia's Rostov region. His military unit No 6910 is also stationed in the Rostov region. Ukrainian investigators say the brigade participated in the occupation of Kherson during the full-scale invasion that began in February 2022.
According to the investigation, Popov and his accomplices held and tortured civilians in a temporary detention centre (TDC) in Kherson from March until the end of October 2022.
The Kherson TDC at 3 Teploenerhetykiv St was seized by Russian forces in early March 2022 during the first weeks of the occupation of the southern regional centre. According to the prosecutor's office, local residents were detained there, interrogated about Ukrainian defence activities, coerced into cooperating with the occupation authorities and tortured.
Popov faces charges in absentia of participating, along with accomplices, in abducting and beating a civilian man on August 13, 2022. The man was forcibly transported to the TDC where he was interrogated about his acquaintances in the police and Ukrainian armed forces. The victim was stripped naked, beaten and subjected to electric shocks with a Taser on his torso and genitals.
According to investigators, on the tenth day of his illegal detention, after failing to obtain the desired answers from the victim, Popov and four accomplices attached steel clamps to the man's genitals and toes and applied electric current through them. Afterward, Popov and three Russian soldiers held the Ukrainian man down while the fifth soldier sexually assaulted him.
The victim was released after 16 days, on August 29, 2022. According to the investigation, his release came after his wife paid 100,000 UAH (2,400 US dollars) to the Russian military. In the case materials, the victim's identity is protected and he is identified as Victim No 50.
Popov was charged in absentia at the end of February 2024.
In the spring of 2024, Ukrainian journalists from the Slidstvo.Info investigative outlet published a documentary entitled He Too: Stories of Ukrainian Men Wronged by the Russians.
In the documentary, a man wearing a hoodie that obscures his face recounts the events of the case in which Popov was charged.
“They called another man into the room, one they called ‘The Pervert’,” the man said. “He burst into the room, very eccentric, very rude. And he tried to rape me.”
The Slidstvo.Info journalists also called Popov and asked about his involvement in the case, communicating in Russian.
Popov denied he was at the Kherson TDC in August 2022.
“In principle, I was never there,” the journlaists recorded him as saying. “That's absurd. Many people can confirm that. Half of the soldiers in my military unit could tell you I wasn't at the TDC. You could have simply called them.”
The case was sent to court in March 2024. After nine months, on December 9, 2024, the court granted permission to conduct the proceedings in absentia. According to the prosecutor's office, the accused is currently in an occupied part of Ukraine. He has been declared wanted and did not appear in response to summons for investigation and court appearances.
Popov was appointed a defence attorney from the Centre for Free Legal Aid. Court records show that the attorney did not object to special judicial proceedings at the December 9 hearing.
On January 27, 2025, the scheduled session in the Popov case at the Kherson City Court did not take place due to the lawyer's engagement elsewhere. The next court hearing is scheduled for March 10, where the court is expected to decide on a substantive review of the case. The prosecution will request a closed session.
“This is to ensure the victim's safety in accordance with the Law of Ukraine, On Ensuring the Safety of Persons Involved in Criminal Proceedings,” the Kherson regional prosecutor's office commented in a statement. “Under criminal procedure legislation, the victim has a right to participate in hearings in person or through a representative. Because of the sensitive nature of the case, the presiding judge will decide how the interrogation will be conducted.”
If found guilty of violating Part 2 of Article 28 and Part 1 of Article 438 of Ukraine's Criminal Code concerning the violation of the laws and customs of war, Popov faces a prison sentence of eight to twelve years.
Ukrainian investigators are currently working to identify potential accomplices in the crime. As stated by the prosecutor's office, no information about the investigation is being disclosed due to legal constraints.
