Oleh Baturin

Oleh Baturin is a Ukrainian journalist from Kakhovka in the Kherson region. He has worked in regional journalism for more than 25 years. Before Russia’s full-scale invasion, he was a special correspondent for the regional newspaper Novyi Den and headed the investigative journalism organization Europrostir. He later began working with the Center for Investigative Journalism and documenting alleged war crimes for The Reckoning Project.

After Russian troops occupied parts of the Kherson region, Baturin remained in Kakhovka and continued reporting, appearing in Ukrainian media and attending pro-Ukrainian demonstrations.

On March 12, 2022, activist and blogger Serhiy Tsyhipa called Baturin and arranged a meeting near the local bus station. Baturin left his home without his phone or documents and disappeared. Tsyhipa was also detained.

Baturin later said Russian personnel transported him to Nova Kakhovka, interrogated and beat him, and then held him in the Kakhovka police building. He described being threatened and spending a night handcuffed to a radiator. These details come from Baturin’s own testimony after his release.

He was released on March 20 after eight days. The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomed his release but said at the time that it could not independently determine who was responsible for his abduction.

Baturin was never publicly charged with a criminal offence and was never tried or sentenced.