Luhansk resident who carved "Z" on Ukrainian prisoner of war's forehead is suspected by SBU

A native of Luhansk region, who carved the "Z" symbol on the forehead of a captured Ukrainian soldier, has been served with a notice of suspicion in absentia. This was reported to by the Security Service of Ukraine.

Volodymyr Polupoltinnykh, commander of the so-called Sixth Separate Motorized Rifle Cossack Regiment of the terrorist LPR, which is part of the armed forces of the Southern Military District of Russia, was suspected.

According to the SBU, on June 10, 2022, he ordered his subordinates to torture Ukrainian soldiers who were captured during battles on the eastern front.

Law enforcement officials claim that Polupoltinnykh personally participated in the torture. During one of the tortures, he carved the letter "Z" on the forehead of a Ukrainian prisoner of war with a knife.

The suspect is a resident of the temporarily occupied part of the territory of Luhansk region who joined Russia-controlled illegal armed groups in 2014. Since the beginning of the full-scale war, he has been participating in battles in eastern Ukraine as part of the occupation groups of Russian troops.

The Office of the Prosecutor General clarified to that Ukrainian defenders were tortured on the territory of the temporarily occupied Pervomaisk. One prisoner was beaten on the head and torso, humiliated and intimidated. The suspect cut both of his ears, pretending to cut them off, and then carved the letter "Z" on his forehead.

The SBU notified Polupoltinnykh in absentia of suspicion under Part 1 of Article 28, Part 1 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (violation of Articles 4, 13, 14, 15 of the Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War of August 12, 1949, which prohibits any unlawful act or omission by a detaining power that poses a serious threat to the health of a prisoner of war under its protection, committed by a group of persons).

His actions are classified as cruel treatment of prisoners of war committed by a group of people. It is punishable by up to 12 years in prison.

• On October 22, 2025, the GUR reported that two Ukrainians and a Russian were suspected of for threatening to kill, torturing and raping a resident of the temporarily occupied Melitopol.
• In late October, Ukraine handed over to Lithuania an occupier involved in the illegal detention, torture and inhuman treatment of civilian and prisoners of war.