His name is Azatbek Omurbekov — but he’s better known as the “Butcher of Bucha.”
The stocky, steely-eyed, 40-something Russian lieutenant colonel has been outed as the commander who allegedly ordered his troops to commit “utterly inhumane” war crimes in Bucha, a town about 15 miles outside the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.
Omurbekov, in charge of the 64th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade, purportedly led his troops into Bucha over the weekend. What followed was the stuff of nightmares.
Hundreds of civilians were butchered, burned, and brazenly thrown into shallow graves or stuffed into sewers. Women were subjected to brutal gang rapes while their children were forced to watch. Men were shot in the head in front of their families. Some had their hands bound and were tortured for hours.
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The carnage was so severe it triggered global outrage, an empty obligatory denial from Russia, and the threat of even harsher sanctions against Moscow from several Western leaders.
But little is known of the man who purportedly ordered the brutal killings. He’s stayed mostly off the grid but has been doxed by InformNapalm, a Ukrainian volunteer initiative that monitors the activities of the Russian military and special services.
The Russian commander suspected of committing “utterly inhuman” war crimes in Bucha has been named as a veteran soldier who was recently blessed by the Orthodox Church https://t.co/1qJ83M2nRl
— The Times (@thetimes) April 5, 2022
The organization claimed it was able to identify Omurbekov through open-source intelligence.
His personal details, including his email address, phone number, and home address were published online, the Times of London reported.
Omurbekov, whose unit is based outside Khabarovsk in Russia’s Far East, was blessed by an Orthodox priest in November, shortly before Russian President Vladimir Putin started to assemble forces in Ukraine.
The blessing was led by the Bishop of Khabarovsk.
Following the service, the man now accused of being a war criminal, ironically claimed, “History shows that we fight most of our bodies with our souls.”
“Weapons are not the most important thing,” the Times reported him saying. “The church is a place where we can take communion and prepare for the coming events. With the blessing of the almighty, we hope to achieve the same things that our forebears achieved.”
The colonel, who is believed to be in his early 40s, was also the recipient of a medal for outstanding service in 2014 by Russia’s defense minister at the time, Dmitry Bulgakov.
Much of the world has watched in horror as Ukrainian civilians have been targeted and trapped in cities, towns, and villages across the war-torn country.
Ukraine president, Volodymyr Zelensky, has personally appealed to the leaders and legislative bodies of several different countries for help. In turn, the countries, including the United States, have sent billions of dollars in humanitarian aid and weapons to help fight Russian forces.
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What Zelensky wants most, though, he hasn’t received.
The Ukrainian leader has pleaded for military help in enforcing a no-fly zone, something the West has said it is not willing to do in fear of triggering World War III.
As for Omurbekov, InformNapalm has teased it would soon release more damning information on the blessed commander.
