Accused of torturing Russian soldiers, Lucas Ribeiro de Jesus fought alongside Ukrainian forces
The Investigative Committee of Russia whether the Brazilian Lucas Ribeiro de Jesus committed “war crimes” in Kursk, a region of the country occupied by Ukrainian troops. The man, who worked as a mercenary for Ukrainian forces, is accused of torturing 2 Russian soldiers.
The announcement of the investigation this Wednesday (Dec 18, 2024) came after Ribeiro stated in a live on TikTok that tortured and killed Russian Army soldiers.
According to the Brazilian, the victims were father and son. He also said he cut off one’s ear with a katana and another’s head.
From the videos circulating on the internet, he appears to have returned to Brazil from the conflict. Russian authorities are still searching for his whereabouts.
Here is what the full note from the Russian organ says:
“The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation opened a criminal case against Brazilian citizen Lukas Ribeiro de Jesus. He is suspected of mercenarism and committing a terrorist act in the Kursk region.”.
“The investigation found that Ribeiro de Jesus is directly involved in the armed conflict as a mercenary in the territory of the Russian Federation. He and other mercenaries, acting together with representatives of the armed forces of Ukraine, illegally crossed the state border of the Russian Federation in September 2024 and invaded the territory of the Kursk region. After the invasion, Ribeiro de Jesus tortured and then killed the two Russians.”.
“The investigation is taking measures to determine the whereabouts of the defendant and his accomplices. During the investigation, all the circumstances of these crimes will be investigated and a criminal legal assessment will be given to the actions of the people involved in their commission.”
