Journalists from the German newspaper BILD confirmed the existence of a torture chamber in Pisky-Radkivski village, Kharkiv region. Reporters spoke with residents who were subjected to torture by the Russian military. It is only the origin of the container with golden crowns and dental bridges that raises doubts, however, this does not refute the facts of violence committed by Russian soldiers against the Ukrainian civilian population.
Russian websites are spreading manipulations and distorted stories about Western journalists allegedly “refuting the Ukrainian fake about the torture camps and the metal teeth found near Kharkiv”. Russian media are referring to an article by the German newspaper BILD, which allegedly denied the existence of torture chambers in the Kharkiv region.
“German journalists from the BILD publication exposed fake Ukrainian propaganda about a torture chamber in Pisky-Radkivskiy village, Kharkiv region,” Ukraina.ru writes.
In reality, the BILD article does not refute the fact that torture chambers were operated in Pisky-Radkivskii. On the contrary, it confirms this, stating: “Yesterday, BILD reporters visited the recently liberated village Pisky-Radkivski in the Kharkiv region (eastern Ukraine) and found victims who confirmed being tortured by Russian soldiers”.
Only one item discovered along with other torture instruments – a container with gold dental crowns and bridges, elicited questions from the German journalists. Previously, a photo of this container, as well as a photo of a gas mask (which was put on the victim’s head and covered with a smoldering rag), were published by the Ukrainian Defense Ministry’s official Twitter account . However, BILD journalists claim that the crowns and dentures found apparently do not belong to the dead or tortured, but to patients of a local dentist who recognized this plastic container. But this fact does not deny the authenticity of other torture tools, as well as the existence in the village of the torture chambers themselves. Moreover, after German journalists made this discovery, the Ukrainian government began investigating the origin of the dentures.
As reported by the German website, a local dentist, Serhiy, suspects that the Russians stole the teeth because they thought them to be real gold (in fact, they are of stainless steel) in order to frighten and threaten Ukrainians. Serhiy also says that, judging by the stories of residents, the Russians used this box of dentures to intimidate people.
Despite the unclear origin of the container with the crowns, BILD emphasizes: “One thing can be said for sure: in the village – as in many other places occupied by Russia – brutal torture was used. Several residents told BILD about hearing cries for help from different buildings”. German journalists also spoke with two local men who were tortured by Russian soldiers in Pisky-Radkivskyi – Volodymyr and Andriy. Andriy in particular, was detained by the Russian military for two months. “For five days, Russian soldiers kept him in the basement, beat him, then took him to other cities and towns. There he had to clean the streets, he was forced to dig trenches for Russian soldiers in Lyman,” BILD reports. Therefore, the claim that “Western journalists are refuting the Ukrainian fake about torture chambers and gold teeth found near Kharkiv” is a manipulative distortion of the facts.
StopFake continues to refute fakes about Russia’s war against Ukraine in the articles Fake: Ukraine “Unleashed a War” and “Refused” to Negotiate With Russia, Fake: Ukrainian Forces Shell The “UN Mission Office in Severodonetsk, Fake: U.S. “Massively Recruits Mercenaries” for the War in Ukraine.
