A Russian military brigade accused of committing war crimes in the Ukrainian town of Bucha was rewarded with an honorary title from Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The 64th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade was praised by Putin in a letter on Monday after hundreds of bodies of civilians were found in mass graves in Bucha, a suburb of Ukraine‘s capital of Kyiv, earlier this month, CNN reported. The brigade was granted the title of “Guards” for “protecting Russia’s sovereignty,” according to Putin.
“Through astute and bold actions during the special military operation in Ukraine, the unit’s staff became a role model in fulfilling its military duty, valor, dedication and professionalism,” Putin’s letter said.
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Almost 300 people were discovered in mass graves in Bucha, and the streets of the town were left littered with the corpses of men and women. Ukrainian forces discovered the mass graves when they recaptured the town last month.
Days after the discovery of the bodies, a volunteer organization identified Azatbek Omurbekov as the Russian lieutenant colonel who had given the orders to commit the “utterly inhumane” war crimes in Bucha.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was left visibly upset as he visited Bucha and saw the ruins of the town firsthand. Zelensky said it was “difficult to talk” after seeing the devastation.
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Several Western countries were outraged and threatened to impose even more sanctions on Russia, including a total boycott of the Russian gas industry.
