Ukrainian Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova accused 10 Russian soldiers, by name, of committing human rights abuses in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha.
A “short investigation” concluded that these soldiers “captured unarmed civilians hostage, killed them with hunger and thirst, held them on their knees with tied hands and closed eyes, mocked and beaten,” Venediktova said in a social media post on Thursday.
The soldiers, who are a part of the 64th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade, included four privates, four corporals, and two sergeants. Their names are Viacheslav Lavrentiev, Grigoriy Naryshkin, Vasiliy Kniazev, Semion Maltsev, Sergei Peskariov, Albert Radnayev, Mikhail Kashyn, Andrey Bizyiaev, Dmitriy Sergienko, and Nikita Akimov — and Venediktova also posted their photos on social media.
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The Buchanan District Prosecutor’s Office specifically accused them of being “involved in the torture of peaceful people,” which qualifies as “civilian abuse and other violations of laws and war customs.”
Earlier this month, this combat unit was celebrated by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who praised the soldiers’ “great heroism and courage” while awarding them the unit title of “Guards” for “protecting Russia’s sovereignty.”
“This high distinction recognizes your special merits, great heroism, and courage in defending your Fatherland, and in protecting Russia’s sovereignty and national interests,” the congratulatory statement from Putin read.
Venediktova’s office had already opened 8,000 cases of alleged war crimes, and they have identified 500 suspects so far, including Russian government ministers and military commanders, according to Voice of America.
Russia, when it began its offensive, sought to move troops quickly from Belarus, which borders Ukraine from the north, to Kyiv, where the troops would be able to topple the government, but it did not work out. They faced insurmountable resistance from Ukrainian forces in addition to suffering a series of self-inflicted problems such as ineffective resupply support and poor morale. Russian forces occupied various towns outside the capital, such as Bucha, where they stayed before ultimately retreating.
Upon the Russian retreat from the areas surrounding the capital, the crimes they allegedly committed in those towns became known. Mass graves were discovered, as were civilians who had been executed and abused.
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Sen. Steve Daines is one of two lawmakers to travel to Ukraine since Russia invaded, and he told the Washington Examiner in a previous interview that the “shallow graves” were “filled with civilians, women, children,” while “the stench of death was still very much apparent. At one moment, I had to put my hand and my jacket over my nose because it was awful.”
The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor Karim Khan agreed to join the Joint Investigative Team, which consists of Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine, on Tuesday to look into international crimes committed by Russian forces, in addition to their own investigation.
