On November 17, Deputy Attorney General Andriy Leshchenko held a meeting with a delegation from the Ministry of Justice of the French Republic, led by Sébastien Sider – a judge and head of the European and International Cooperation Department.

Andriy Leshchenko thanked the partners for their systematic support and emphasized the key role of international experts in documenting war crimes:

“About 90% of the evidence that the Joint Investigation Team and the International Center for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression at Eurojust are working with has been collected in Ukraine. The involvement of foreign experts is critically important for their effective use at the international level,” he noted.

The parties paid special attention to the pilot project of the Office of the Prosecutor General on assessing the environmental damage caused by Russian aggression. They discussed the necessity of involving French specialists in documenting such crimes, as well as the importance of joint work on analyzing the components of the weaponry used by Russia to shell Ukraine – drones, cruise and ballistic missiles, and the Shahed strike UAVs. Identifying the manufacturers of the components, countries of origin, and logistics supply routes will allow for the documentation of violations of the sanctions regime.

Representatives of the French delegation informed about the support already provided, including the participation of lawyers in the investigation of the crime of deportation of Ukrainian children, and confirmed their readiness for further steps.

The party also announced its intention to participate in the development of legislative changes and to organize a training visit for Ukrainian prosecutors to the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office (PNAT), the police, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of France to exchange experiences in investigating crimes against humanity.

After the visit, specific formats for further cooperation will be determined.