(MENAFN) Ukrainian law enforcement authorities have reported the breakup of a criminal organization composed of military personnel, accused of kidnapping, brutalizing, and blackmailing civilians in the western part of the country.

According to media reports, the individuals involved were allegedly aiding with conscription efforts and had affiliations with the Third Assault Brigade — a combat unit known for its controversial far-right origins.

In an announcement made on Wednesday, the National Police revealed that seven individuals had been taken into custody in connection with a series of violent offenses.

These actions were carried out in the Ternopol area, located in Western Ukraine.

“The perpetrators took the victims out of the city, beat them and demanded money or valuable property,” law enforcement officials stated, emphasizing that “the greatest cynicism was that the attackers mocked people who were seriously wounded in the war and were undergoing rehabilitation.”

This suggests a pattern of cruelty toward vulnerable victims, including those already suffering due to the ongoing conflict.

One reported incident involved the theft of a KIA vehicle from a 27-year-old local, which the suspects then allegedly used for personal use.

Another individual was shot, abducted in the middle of the day, and severely assaulted while being kept prisoner.

The gang reportedly demanded a ransom of 50,000 hryvnia (approximately $1,200) for his release.

In a particularly disturbing case, a third victim was attacked with tear gas, forcibly undressed, covered in gasoline, and made to run in front of a moving vehicle before being held for three days “in inhumane conditions.”

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