'How the ‘man in black’ was exposed by the Russian women he terrorised

A Russian police officer's takeaway food order was the breakthrough clue which helped a group of women, who had been terrorised by him, reveal his true identity. For the first time, a BBC investigation tells the story of how they tracked him down.

The women, mostly aged between 19 and 25, had attended a rally in Moscow in March against Russia's invasion of Ukraine. They were quickly rounded up by officers and put in the back of a police van.

Over the next six hours they suffered verbal and physical abuse that, in some cases, amounted to torture - one woman says she was repeatedly starved of oxygen when a plastic bag was put over her head.

The audio recordings give a chilling insight into the women's abuse.
Ryabov can be heard telling Marina to answer his questions before "I take off my boot and smash you on the head with it."

For 14 minutes, Marina says she was shouted at and kicked by Ryabov - a pistol in her face.

Anastasia, waiting outside, remembers hearing the sound of screaming and blows. When she, too, refused to co-operate with the questioning, she says Ryabov beat her over the head with a water bottle, emptied its contents over her, and then pulled a
plastic bag over her soaking head where he held it against her nose and mouth for 30-40 seconds at a time.

"You think to yourself - how much longer can I take this?" she says.

Alexandra, 26, also managed to record her abuse, and in her audio we hear Ryabov boast of his total impunity. "You think we're going to get in trouble for this? Putin told us to kill all of [your type]. That's it! Putin's on our side!"

He then threatens to kill her himself, adding: "And then they'll give me a bonus for it too."

At least 11 of the detainees say they experienced physical abuse at the hands of the "man in black".

When the women publicly released the audio recorded on their phones earlier this year, one Russian politician called for action - but the country's Investigative Committee deemed there to be "insufficient evidence" to warrant opening a criminal
investigation into the case.

Listen to the “man in black” shouting insults at Marina and Alexandra while he assaults them:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-62799246

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