Russians arrive in Kherson to probe Kiev torture, shelling

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Russian investigators have arrived in Kherson to launch a probe into alleged cases of torture in the region perpetrated by Ukrainian militants, as well as the shelling of the area via Tochka-U missiles, said Kirill Stremousov, deputy head of the regional military-civilian administration.

"A group of Russian investigators has arrived and launched an investigation into the cases of torture by Ukrainian militants when the region was under the control of the Kiev regime, as well as the shelling of the region by nationalists with Tochka-U missiles. The investigative authorities are now working," Stremousov said.

Russia had captured the entire Kherson region in the south of the country and part of the southeastern Zaporozhye region and established military-civilian administrations there after the start of the war in Ukraine.

Russian media outlets began broadcasting there, the local authorities proclaimed the Russian ruble as the used currency alongside the Ukrainian hryvnia, and attempts are being made to restore the region's trade ties with Crimea.

There were reports that Kherson's local authorities intended to request it become part of Russia following the completion of all integration processes.

Nevertheless, Russia making Kherson part of the mainland might makes the prospects of a peace agreement "less possible", as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stressed that Russia's withdrawal from pre-war positions is a prerequisite for any successful negotiations.

Later on, Vladimir Rogov, a member of the main council of Zaporozhye's military-civilian administration, told Sputnik that after being completely freed from Ukrainian nationalists, the region will plan to become part of Russia. 

"The Zaporozhye region is a historically Russian territory. The return of the region under the control of the Kiev regime, no matter what they say there, is out of the question, just as holding talks with them," Rogov said.