Russian forces killed two Ukrainian teenagers – Tyhran Ohannisian and Mykyta Khanhanov – in temporarily occupied Berdiansk. Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets confirmed the information. Before his death, Ohannisian managed to record a video with the words: “Two for sure. That is, it is death, guys, goodbye! Glory to Ukraine!”
Before that, the invaders pursued, held captive, and tortured the boys allegedly for preparing sabotage on the railway. The Investigative Committee of Russia charged the teenagers with “violations” of the article, which provides for 10 to 20 years of imprisonment. At that time, the European Parliament demanded that the minors be released to the territory under the control of the authorities of Ukraine. However, the Russians placed Ohannisian and Khanhanov under house arrest in Berdiansk.
On June 24, the occupying authorities of Berdiansk reported the killing of teenagers whom they called “pro-Ukrainian terrorists.” The boys allegedly started shooting. Lubinets said that Russia extrajudicially executed two minors.
“Currently, the only thing we know is that the boys died. According to my information, it was an execution, and maybe after that, there was some staging to justify the actions of the Russian servicemen,” he added.
Olha Reshetylova, a Media Initiative for Human Rights representative, reported that “the parents have not seen the boys’ bodies yet,” and their relatives “are being interrogated and searched,” Radio Liberty reports.
Ukraine appealed to the International Committee of the Red Cross; however, they reported that they could not fulfill their mandate due to the lack of access to the temporarily occupied territories, Lubinets said.
