On June 4, 2026, the Berdiansk District Police Department announced that three members of Russian occupation forces had been served with notices of suspicion under Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. Investigators say the suspects used so-called "filtration checks" as a cover for armed robberies targeting local residents.

Who are the suspects

Viktor Mykhailovych Dushchak (born September 13, 1973) is a native of the village of Radolivka in Zaporizhzhia region.

Maksym Anatoliyovych Savchenko (born March 11, 1984) is a native of Shakhtinsk, Karaganda region, Kazakhstan.

Fedir Kolenikovych Zlatiev (born August 15, 1977) is a native of the village of Hiunivka in Zaporizhzhia region.

According to investigators, all three served as "Cossacks" in the illegal paramilitary group known as the "Primorsky Cossack Community," which was established in occupied territory and operated from the seized premises of the Primorsk District State Administration.

Circumstances of the crimes

Investigators say the suspects joined a "Cossack brigade" established by occupation authorities in early 2024 and swore allegiance to the Russian Federation. Their duties included patrols, staffing checkpoints and participating in so-called filtration operations aimed at suppressing pro-Ukrainian sentiment among local residents.

According to the investigation, the group received lists of people deemed disloyal to Russia, including residents who had attempted to leave for Ukrainian-controlled territory or had relatives serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The suspects allegedly used this information to intimidate civilians and seize their money during inspections.

The investigation documented three incidents.

• In January 2024, the suspects arrived at the home of a resident of the village of Hiunivka after learning that her son served in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. When the woman stepped outside, Zlatiev allegedly grabbed her by the arm and threatened her with a knife, forcing her to allow the group into the house. While one of the men restrained the victim, the other two searched the premises and took 19,000 hryvnias. The woman was ordered not to report the incident.
• On April 10, 2024, the suspects were manning a checkpoint near the intersection of the Enerhodar–Berdiansk and Prymorsk–Andriivka roads when they stopped a local resident's vehicle. During a search, they found 15,000 rubles and 2,400 hryvnias. When the driver attempted to protect the money, one of the suspects struck him with the butt of an assault rifle while the others pointed loaded rifles at him. The victim was forced to surrender the money and leave the checkpoint under threat of having his vehicle confiscated.
• On May 17, 2024, the suspects allegedly visited the home of a woman in Prymorsk after learning that she had attempted to travel to Ukrainian-controlled territory. They took 5,000 hryvnias, claiming that possession of the currency was evidence of collaboration with Ukraine. Investigators say the suspects threatened the woman with torture and death and warned her not to report the robbery.

Suspicion

Dushchak, Savchenko and Zlatiev have been notified of suspicion under two articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine: Part 1 of Article 438 (violation of the laws and customs of war) and Part 7 of Article 111-1 (voluntary participation in illegal paramilitary formations established in temporarily occupied territory).

According to investigators, the armed robberies of civilians in occupied territory constitute serious violations of international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War and the Hague Convention on the Laws and Customs of War on Land.

Under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, such acts may constitute war crimes.

The criminal case was registered in the Unified Register of Pre-Trial Investigations under No. 12025082130000008 on February 7, 2025.