Ukrainian journalists identify a Russian officer who held more than 360 residents of Yahidne village in Chernihiv region in a basement for a month

Journalists have identified a Russian military officer who held more than 360 residents of the village of Yahidne in Chernihiv region in a basement for a month. He was 36-year-old Semen Solovov.

Suspilne journalists published an investigative film about a Russian officer with the call sign Klion.

Solovov of the 228th Motorised Rifle Regiment from Yekaterinburg gave the order that forced 366 residents to stay in the basement for 27 days without food, water or electricity.

The journalists started their investigation in July 2022. They interviewed witnesses and identified the Russian commander's call sign as Klion. Working with law enforcement, the journalists identified many Russian soldiers but not Solovov.

In June 2023, a concert recording by Russian singer Yulia Chicherina near Kreminna in the Luhansk region was published. The video showed Klion, who the residents of Yahidne recognised. He is alive and is believed to be in the temporarily occupied Luhansk region.

When contacted by journalists, Solovov denied involvement in the Yahidne crime. He then deleted the correspondence, saying that a man called Semen Solovov had died.

It will be recalled that the village of Yahidne was under Russian occupation from March 5 to April 2, 2022. The Russian military killed civilians and burned down houses. Then, they herded hundreds of people into the school's basement, where they held them for more than 20 days. Among the hostages were 69 children.