A woman has come forward to share her harrowing experience of surviving a violent attack by her former boyfriend.
Oksana Kuzmenko, 40, bravely detailed the abuse she endured at the hands of Oleg Schegolikhin, 33, after ending their relationship.
In October 2023, Schegolikhin allegedly ambushed Kuzmenko near her home in Yekaterinburg, Russia and took her to his workplace, a car repair workshop. There, he subjected her to a horrific assault.
Reports state he nailed her legs to a wooden plank, inflicting further injuries with a tool described as a “corkscrew,” before setting her on fire.
Despite the severe burns she sustained, Kuzmenko managed a daring escape. While driving her to a remote location, she deliberately crashed the car into another vehicle. This forced Schegolikhin to flee the scene, allowing authorities to reach her and provide medical attention.
Kuzmenko suffered extensive burns and other injuries. Hospitalized in critical condition, she received treatment for burns on her limbs, face, neck, and upper respiratory tract. Schegolikhin was sentenced to 12 years in a strict regime penal colony for attempted murder with extreme cruelty.
However, the possibility of a reduced sentence for Schegolikhin has sparked outrage. Reports indicate he may receive leniency due to volunteering to fight in the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Despite the trauma she endured, Kuzmenko demonstrated immense courage by providing testimony against her attacker and detailing the brutal assault she faced, she said in court:
“He took off my boots. He took my left leg and hammered a nail into it. And in my right leg, he took something like a corkscrew and twisted this sharp object into my right leg.
“At the same time, he said that he would kill me. He gave me time until 4am….He took out a cigarette and a lighter, and poured petrol. So, I lit up like a candle.
“He took a fire extinguisher but before this, he smoked a cigarette and watched me burning. He tore the burnt skin off my right hand.”
