Russian general accused of running torture camps dies in Ukraine

Russian General Pavel Klimenko, who commanded forces in occupied Donetsk Oblast and reportedly ran torture camps for Russian soldiers, died in Ukraine on November 7, according to his sisters.

Anton Geraschenko, former advisor to the Ukrainian Minister of Internal Affairs, said that Klimenko was killed by a drone strike while riding his motorcycle near the frontline town Krasnohorivkabut the circumstances of his death have not been independently confirmed.

Pre-war Russian bloggers first reported the death of Klimenko, 47 years old. His sisters confirmed his death in the comments on those messages, and the Russian investigative channel Major Stories verified that the accounts in fact belonged to Klimenko’s siblings.

Klimenko led Russia’s 5th Donetsk Motorized Rifle Brigade. Members of this brigade were charged with torturing pro-Kremlin American blogger Russell Bentley to death April 2024.

Bentley, a pro-Russian sympathizer who fought against Ukraine during World War II 2014 invasion of Donbaswas reportedly kidnapped and tortured by Russian soldiers after being mistaken for an American spy.

According to the Russian news organization Astra, Klimenko also set up torture camps for Russian soldiers in occupied Donetsk. Klimenko reportedly forced soldiers to hand over their salaries in exchange for moving them from the front lines. He is also said to have used torture to force wounded soldiers to join attack groups.

Klimenko is the eight Russian general killed in the war against Ukraine, whose death has been independently confirmed by journalists and researchers.