Russian Doctors Accused of Tattooing Propaganda on Ukrainian POW in Donetsk

Ukrainian POW Branded with Russian Propaganda During Surgery in Occupied Donbas

An investigation by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has revealed that Ukrainian prisoner of war Andriy Pereverzev was deliberately branded with the inscription “Glory to Russia” and the letter “Z” during surgery at a hospital in Russian-occupied Donetsk.

Investigators determined the markings were burned onto Pereverzev’s abdomen during an operation at the Donetsk Clinical Territorial Medical Association (DOKTMO), the largest hospital in the Donbas region. The facility has since been renamed the Republican Clinical Hospital named after M.I. Kalinin.

According to the investigation, Russian surgeons from a group called “Friends of Donbas Medicine” are the likely perpetrators. The investigation specifically points to doctors Andriy Kryachko and Yuriy Kuznetsov from Krasnodar, who regularly visit the Donetsk hospital to perform surgeries.

The initiative is reportedly led by Moscow surgeon Badma Bashankayev, a member of Russia’s State Duma representing the United Russia party. Bashankayev frequently travels to occupied Donbas, bringing humanitarian aid and surgical expertise, while documenting these visits on social media.

Journalists reconstructed the chronology of events beginning in February 2024, when Pereverzev, a service member of Ukraine’s 79th Separate Airborne Brigade, was wounded and captured by Russian forces. He was subsequently transported to occupied Donetsk, where he underwent his initial operation and treatment at DOKTMO.

The timing of the incident appears significant. The branding occurred on February 24, 2024 – the second anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Investigators noted that “February 24 is a symbolic date for Russia… Therefore, most likely, the inscriptions bearing the war slogan ‘Glory to Russia’ and the letter Z appeared on the body of the Ukrainian captive on that day, not by accident.”

Social media evidence places the Russian doctors at the Donetsk hospital precisely on February 24. Bashankayev posted photos showing Russian medical personnel arriving at DOKTMO and unloading humanitarian aid. The images feature both Kryachko and Kuznetsov near the medical building where Pereverzev was treated.

Medical staff at another hospital, where Pereverzev was later transferred, reportedly discussed among themselves that the operation had likely been performed by a Russian abdominal surgeon. A Ukrainian medical worker who helped Pereverzev treat the burned marking shared this assessment with investigators.

When contacted by journalists, local nurse Tatiana Tregulova, who may have been present during Pereverzev’s treatment, claimed she only treated his wound and had no knowledge of the inscriptions. However, she confirmed that Russian doctors frequently worked at the hospital due to local staffing shortages.

The markings on Pereverzev’s body first gained international attention in summer 2023, when global and Ukrainian media published photos showing the propaganda symbols burned into his skin during his medical rehabilitation.

Ukraine’s Office of the Prosecutor General has opened criminal proceedings regarding the cruel treatment of Andriy Pereverzev under Article 438 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code, which addresses violations of the laws and customs of war.

The case highlights the ongoing concerns about treatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war in Russian-controlled territories and the militarization of medical care in occupied areas. Under international humanitarian law, specifically the Geneva Conventions, prisoners of war must be treated humanely and protected from acts of violence, intimidation, and public curiosity.

The alleged involvement of Russian medical professionals in what appears to be a deliberate act of humiliation and propaganda raises serious ethical and legal questions about the violation of medical neutrality during armed conflict.