War crimes in Bucha
Ukraine is investigating ten Russian soldiers
April 28, 2022, 5:40 p.m
The Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office is launching preliminary investigations into ten Russian soldiers for possible war crimes in Bucha. They are said to have taken civilians hostage and tortured them. They did not shy away from looting either.
The Ukrainian judiciary has launched investigations into ten Russian soldiers for alleged war crimes in the Kiev suburb of Bucha. The Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office said the members of the Russian army’s 64th Motorized Infantry Brigade were accused of, among other things, “the cruel treatment of civilians”. After the Russian troops withdrew from Bucha and other places, reports of atrocities had caused international horror.
The ten accused are specifically accused of taking civilians hostage during the occupation of Butscha, of not giving them food or drink and of having tortured them in some cases, the general public prosecutor said. “People have been punched in the body and hit with weapons in the legs, toes and chest.” Accordingly, the soldiers wanted to get information about the positions of the Ukrainian troops.
The investigators also accuse the Russian soldiers of looting: They “took personal belongings and household appliances”. There are reports of thefts by Russian soldiers in many parts of Ukraine. It is also being investigated for “premeditated murders,” said the Attorney General.
Putin honors suspected war criminals
Ukraine accuses the Russian army and especially the 64th Brigade of having massacred civilians in Bucha. After the Russian troops left, dead men in civilian clothes, some with their hands tied, were found on the streets of Bucha.
According to Ukrainian Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova, Ukrainian and international investigators are investigating a total of about 8,600 cases of alleged war crimes. More than 4,000 other cases are related to war crimes, Venediktova told DW. A total of more than 8,000 investigators are involved in the cases, including representatives of the public prosecutor’s office, police officers, employees of the secret service and investigators from abroad. Joint investigative teams were formed through the EU judicial authority Eurojust, said Venediktowa. 14 other states have also started their own investigations in connection with the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.
Almost all suspected war crimes investigated were committed after the start of the Russian offensive on February 24. These included the killing of civilians, attacks on civilian infrastructure, torture and sex crimes in areas occupied by Russian troops. The alleged use of internationally banned ammunition is also being investigated.
Russia has so far denied all allegations of war crimes. With regard to the bodies found in Bucha, Moscow accuses the Ukrainian authorities and Western media of staging the murders. Ukrainian troops committed the crimes to blame Russia, the Kremlin said. President Vladimir Putin has since awarded the 64th Infantry Brigade an honorary title.