Russian military first detained Damian Omelianenko on May 24, 2022. Tattoos discovered during an inspection were deemed a "sign of Nazism." He was illegally held in a dungeon for about a month, where he was constantly tortured, including being electrocuted and beaten with sticks. When he was released on June 22, 2022, his relatives reported he was beaten. After his release, Damian, his brother, and his grandmother were placed under surveillance. Omelianenko was detained a second time on November 16, 2022.

Damian was initially illegally detained in Melitopol, then transferred to Simferopol Pretrial Detention Center No. 1. He was later held in an overcrowded cell in Rostov Pretrial Detention Center No. 1, where he was held alongside 27 other inmates. From April 24, 2024, he was held in Taganrog. While in custody, Omelianenko lost approximately 30 kilograms due to a stomach ulcer and lack of medical care. In Taganrog, letters from his mother were not delivered to him, keeping him in a complete information vacuum. However, the chronology indicates a possible transfer to Mariupol at the end of 2024, so his current location is marked as pending clarification.

Omelianenko was initially charged with organizing and participating in a terrorist organization under Part 2 of Article 205.4, Part 2 of Article 205, and Part 3 of Article 205 of the Russian Criminal Code. On April 30, 2025, the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation approved the indictment in the criminal case against Damian Omelianenko and Artur Shashenko. At the time of the first hearing, he was also charged under additional articles, including Part 4 of Article 222.1, Part 1 of Article 361, and Part 3 of Article 361 of the Russian Criminal Code. However, the specific nature of all the charges requires further clarification.

Along with Damian Omelianenko, Ukrainians Artur Shashenko and Oleksiy Makarenko are also accused in this case. According to investigators, Omelianenko joined a terrorist organization in the summer of 2022 to plan a series of bombings in Berdyansk. Investigators claim he followed and passed on information about the deputy head of the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate, Oleksandr Kolesnikov, and Makarenko subsequently blew up the police officer near his home when he approached his car. Kolesnikov later died in the hospital. The accused are also charged with the murder of Oleg Boyko, the deputy head of the occupation military-civil administration of Berdyansk, and his wife, Lyudmila, an assassination attempt on the "military commandant of the city," Artem Bardin, and an assassination attempt on the deputy head of the occupation

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