The Charity Fund Direct Inclusion continues to expose the ongoing crimes committed by Russian forces and their allies in Ukraine. Today, we will focus on the violations of international law and the Geneva Conventions committed by the occupier Oleksiy Okonnikov.

Intimidation, Humiliation of Civilians, and Other Crimes in Chernihiv Region: Who is Oleksiy Okonnikov?

The 32-year-old Okonnikov was born and raised in the Udmurt Republic. He serves in the 385th Guards Artillery Brigade of the Russian military unit 32755. In 2022, Okonnikov traveled nearly 2,000 kilometers to one of the villages in the Nizhyn district of Chernihiv region. According to the Office of the Prosecutor General, this village fell under Russian occupation on February 28, 2022.

On March 15, Oleksiy Okonnikov and an unidentified Russian soldier (later known as «Stas») entered a house where civilians were living. They wore uniforms, carried weapons, and had identification marks. Inside, they found a 16-year-old girl, her younger brother, mother, stepfather, grandmother, aunt, and two other children.

Witnesses reported that Okonnikov forced the stepfather and younger brother to kneel, aimed a weapon at them, and threatened to kill them. Meanwhile, «Stas» took the underage girl to another room, stripped her forcibly, and made sexual advances — actions that international law recognizes as sexual violence. When the older woman tried to protect her relative, the Russian soldier struck her multiple times, knocking her unconscious.

It is also known that Okonnikov fired a gun inside the house, hitting the wall. The Russian invaders then dragged one of the civilians outside and, at gunpoint, forced him to drink alcohol in celebration of Russia's so-called «victory» in the war.

We Will Not Let Russian Atrocities Go Unpunished!

The Office of the Prosecutor General and the Security Service of Ukraine investigated the incident and found conclusive evidence of the Russians' guilt. A Ukrainian court convicted Oleksiy Okonnikov of violating the laws and customs of war, sentencing him to 11 years in prison.

Sadly, many Russian soldiers who have committed atrocities in Ukraine are still at large. We will not allow them to escape justice!

Spread the word about Russia's war crimes using the hashtags #JusticeForUkraine and #Stopruscism, continue to donate, and never lose faith in Ukraine’s victory.

This material was compiled using publicly available internet sources.