Mykola Horb was abducted on 4 April 2022 in the village of Petrivka, Beryslav district, Kherson region. That morning he was standing outside with a neighbour when two armed, masked soldiers approached them. The soldiers checked their phones, saw text messages about shelling, and — without any evidence — accused the two men of directing artillery fire.
Mykola and his neighbour had their hands tied and eyes blindfolded, and were forced into a military truck. They were first held at a farm outside the village, where the captors immediately began beating them, threatening them with a knife, and demanding they confess to cooperating with the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Bad weather delayed transport to the main detention site, and for some time the men were kept at this initial location, where the occupiers tried to "beat" the testimony they wanted out of them.
At the place of detention, Mykola was held in dire conditions. Five or six people were kept in a small windowless room. They received almost no food or water and no medical care. During interrogations, he was kicked and beaten with rifle butts. Captors held weapons to his knees and faked shots. They constantly questioned him about ties to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, about Ukrainian troops, and about allegedly passing on coordinates — though they had no evidence. Over the course of his detention, Mykola lost around 20 kilograms.
On 10 June 2022, Mykola and his neighbour were forced to record a video. They were dictated a script committing them not to resist or cooperate with Ukraine, and were made to thank the Russian military. They were forbidden to tell anyone about the recording. On 12 June 2022, Mykola and several other detainees, blindfolded and with their hands tied, were driven away in a truck and dropped off between the villages of Liubymivka and Petrivka. After his release, local residents at first did not recognise him because of his critical physical state.
Once back, a forensic medical examination documented his injuries, including fractures sustained during his unlawful detention. A criminal case was opened over the abduction under Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (violation of the laws and customs of war). His family appealed to the police, government authorities, and international organisations, including the Red Cross.
Despite his testimony about the abduction, the forensic medical examination documenting his injuries, witness statements, and the open criminal case under Article 438, Mykola Horb was denied recognition as a victim of unlawful deprivation of liberty. By his account, others held alongside him in the same place of detention were granted that status. In his case, the commission reached the opposite conclusion.
The documentation of war crimes is carried out with the financial support of the European Endowment for Democracy (EED). Its content does not necessarily reflect the official position of EED. The information and views set out in this publication are the sole responsibility of the NGO Union of Relatives of Kremlin Political Prisoners.
The Union systematically documents war crimes and works to free civilians and support their families.
