Deputy Head of Lukyanivka detention center Oleksandr Savchenko has confirmed to reporters that the footage released by a Ukrainian journalist Alena Lunkova was shot with a CCTV camera.
Earlier, the battalion commander, Ruslan Onishchenko, claimed that Hlebov cut off his own ear, having decided to inflict self-harm due to "emotional distress after the court hearing."
A lawyer Volodymyr Yakimov had said that Hlebov cut off his ear in a protest move, allegedly over the bullying on the part of a detention center official.
On January 11, the Lukyanovka detention center saw a clash between detainees and guards. Later it was reported that the suspect who had earlier testified in court, cut off his ear.
As UNIAN reported earlier, on June 17, eight men from the Tornado special unit base were arrested in connection with a number of grave crimes. According to the Prosecutor General's Office, a pre-trial investigation has established that in the period from January to mid-March 2015 the unit’s commander created a criminal organization consisting of his subordinates that committed serious crimes, including the unlawful imprisonment and kidnapping of local residents, in the territory of the unit location in Pryvolne, Lugansk region. Members of the criminal group detained local people in the basement, subjecting them to torture.
Read alsoUkrainian lawmaker shoots villager in leg on New Year's eve claiming self-defense; alleged attacker disputes eventsPreviously, the staff of the Tornado unit refused to comply with the requirements of the inspector and did not allow searches to be conducted at the unit's location, with staff threatening the use weapons. On June 20, investigators and prosecutors started a search of the disbanded Tornado special unit’s base in Pryvolne.
