The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has detained 36-year-old Russian citizen Leonid Ryzhikov in Kharkiv, suspected of the brutal murder of five Ukrainian servicemen and one civilian in the Kharkiv region. The detention took place in the Saltivka district of the city with the participation of SBU, National Police, and National Guard officers on October 14, 2026.
Circumstances of Escape and Suspect's Background
According to Ukrainian law enforcement agencies, the suspect, who used the call sign "Yula", is a native of St. Petersburg and a serviceman of the 2nd Battalion of the 1009th Motorized Rifle Regiment of the Russian army. In late July 2026, he was mobilized after serving an eight-year prison sentence for theft and inflicting grievous bodily harm. His unit was deployed to the temporarily occupied territory of the Chuhuiv district in the Kharkiv region.
On October 5 and 6, at Russian positions near the village of Starytsia, Ryzhikov came under shelling by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Armed with a standard-issue AK-74 assault rifle, he voluntarily abandoned his positions and headed on foot toward Kharkiv, hiding in forest belts and looting an abandoned private house along the way.
Chronology of Crimes Committed
On October 13, near the village of Mykhailivka, the suspect shot and killed a 60-year-old local resident who was fishing at a local pond for no apparent reason, after which he threw the victim's body into the water. On the same day, he reached the village of Momotove, where he broke into a private house.
Five servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were inside the house; at that time, they were not participating in combat operations, were unarmed, and were wearing civilian clothes. Ryzhikov opened fire to kill, shooting the men while some of them were sleeping. After committing the crimes, he hid the assault rifle in a dacha community and continued his attempts to reach Kharkiv.
Detention and Legal Qualification
Law enforcement officers tracked down and detained the suspect on October 14, 2026, in the Saltivka district of Kharkiv, seizing the weapon used in the crime. Based on the gathered evidence, investigators of the Security Service of Ukraine served the suspect with a notice of suspicion under Part 2 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which qualifies the act as war crimes resulting in deaths.
The penalty for the incriminated article provides for life imprisonment. The issue of choosing a preventive measure in the form of detention for the detainee is currently being resolved, and investigative actions are ongoing to establish all the circumstances of the incident.
Significance of the Investigation and Next Steps
The solution of this crime and the prompt detention of the suspect demonstrate the coordinated work of Ukrainian law enforcement agencies in identifying threats in rear and frontline areas. Such incidents highlight the level of criminalization and disciplinary problems in the units of the enemy's armed forces, which are staffed at the expense of convicted persons.
Further investigation will focus on transferring the case materials to court to assign a fair punishment. In parallel, Ukrainian special services continue to suppress sabotage and intelligence activities in other areas, including the detention of enemy accomplices in the regions of the country.
