The brothers Moseichuk, who were kidnapped in the Kyiv region, were shot not by the former commander of the 155th brigade S. Luchanov, but by his subordinate.
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As indicated by the news portal “RBK-Ukraine”, this was stated in court by the prosecution.
According to the investigation data, S. Luchanov ordered this crime to be carried out by his subordinate – the commander of the 155th brigade battalion Oleksiy Dolholenko.
According to the prosecution, he shot one of the brothers once in the head, and the other eight times.
It is noted that the criminals killed the brothers one by one, taking them to a training ground near Poltava. Their bodies were buried in pre-dug pits.
As reported by a correspondent of the news portal “New Voice”, who was present in court, one of the brothers had 8 gunshot wounds to the head. Meanwhile, S. Luchanov is accused of shooting one of them several times in the leg so that he would no longer be able to resist.
Preventive measure imposed
According to the news portal “New Voice”, the court imposed a preventive measure on the former commander of the 155th mechanized brigade – 60 days of detention.
This measure was proposed by the prosecutor, explaining that the soldier might hide from the investigation and court, as he had previously joined the ranks of volunteers. In addition, he noted that the former brigade commander might try to influence and intimidate witnesses who are his subordinates.
S. Luchanov agreed to the demand to impose a preventive measure on him and agreed to cooperate with investigators.
“Never saw”
However, the soldier emphasized that he rejects the charges against him. He claims that he “never saw” the brothers who became victims of this case.
“I never saw these brothers,” emphasized S. Luchanov.
At the same time, the man refused to provide any additional explanations, including his version of the events.
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He repeated several times that he will wait until the investigation is completed.
According to him, during the mentioned crimes he was on vacation and could not give orders to his subordinates, who, according to the prosecution’s version, committed the murders.
S. Luchanov commented on the accusations that he allegedly tried to leave the unit arbitrarily.
“I went to the lawyers. There were some suspicions that I might not reach them. Therefore, I took certain measures. I arrived at the lawyers already with my belongings, preparing for detention. After concluding the contract with the lawyers, I was detained,” he stated.
What happened before?
According to the investigation data, on the night of June 28, 7 men broke into the yard where the two brothers were, forcibly pushed them into a car, and took them in an unknown direction.
After a few days, on July 11, it was announced that the former commander of the 155th separate mechanized brigade left his place of service. Law enforcement officers announced his search.
It is indicated that 9 more brigade soldiers suspected of involvement in the brothers’ kidnapping were suspended from their duties.
On Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky publicly commented on this high-profile case for the first time, assuring that all circumstances of the crime will be clarified. On the same day, law enforcement officers detained S. Luchanov in Kyiv.
Investigation data shows that between one of the brothers and a local resident, who is likely S. Luchanov’s wife, a verbal conflict flared up the day before because the young men were loudly listening to music and riding motorcycles. The brothers allegedly responded to her remarks with obscene words.
“Deciding to take revenge, the criminal involved other military service officers in the criminal plan. According to the investigation data, the suspects broke into the victims’ home territory, using firearms, forcibly took two men by car to another region, illegally detained them for a long time, and then killed them,” the statement says.
Police officers say that on July 9 they found the place where the bodies of the murdered were hidden and during the examination found many gunshot wounds. According to law enforcement officers, this indicates the exceptional cruelty of the crime.
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