Today, the Attorney General Ruslan Kravchenko held a meeting with a delegation from the European Union: the Commander of EU Civilian Operations, the Director General of the European External Action Service Stefano Tomat, and the EUAM team, as well as with the Head of the EU Advisory Mission in Ukraine Rolf Holmbo and mission experts.

From the Office of the Attorney General, the meeting was also attended by the First Deputy Attorney General Oleksiy Khomenko and Deputy Attorney General Andriy Leshchenko.

At the beginning of the meeting, Ruslan Kravchenko expressed sincere gratitude to the EU for its support and outlined the key areas of work of the Office of the Attorney General in the context of the full-scale invasion. “First of all, I want to express my sincere gratitude to you personally and to the European Union for supporting Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale invasion by the Russian Federation. This is important and tangible assistance both in humanitarian and military terms, as well as on the political and diplomatic front,” emphasized the Attorney General.

During the meeting, the parties discussed a number of issues: restoring justice, protecting vulnerable groups in the context of the full-scale invasion, particularly children, and Ukraine's fulfillment of its Euro-integration obligations.

The Attorney General emphasized that the key priority of the prosecution remains the investigation of war crimes committed by the Russian Federation.

Ruslan Kravchenko informed his EU colleagues that over 187,000 episodes of war crimes have already been registered in Ukraine, and this number, unfortunately, is increasing due to daily attacks by the Russians, mostly on civilian infrastructure. The Attorney General noted that the Russians are deliberately striking residential buildings, schools, and kindergartens, as well as places where civilians gather. “Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the Russians have used all types of weapons against the peaceful population of Ukraine, except for nuclear ones. They commit mass killings of prisoners of war and civilians, rape women and children, maim, rob, and simply destroy all living things. The greater their failures on the battlefield, the more brutal and cynical their attacks on the peaceful population of Ukraine become,” said Ruslan Kravchenko. The Attorney General emphasized that the further prosecution of all war criminals is a common goal of the entire civilized world, and all collected evidence will be submitted to the Special Tribunal regarding the crime of aggression against Ukraine.

Next, during the meeting, the parties paid attention to the issue of implementing transitional justice. Ruslan Kravchenko noted that Ukraine has developed approaches to transitional justice; however, they do not meet the current challenges, as they were developed before the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation. “It is critically important for us to develop a systematic project on transitional justice. Ukraine is ready to work with partners step by step and systematically in this direction, and we rely on your support,” added the Attorney General.

Particular attention was paid to the issues of protecting citizens and the economic resilience of the country in the context of the full-scale invasion.

In this context, the Attorney General first noted that special attention from the prosecution authorities is focused on the return of deported Ukrainian children from the territory of the Russian Federation and the implementation of programs aimed at protecting children's mental health.

Continuing the conversation, Ruslan Kravchenko informed partners about the work of the Office of the Attorney General in terms of protecting investors and businesses during the war. This includes the creation of an online platform "StopPressure" and the results of its work in September, noting that the issue of protecting national and foreign investments is under his personal control.

During the meeting, the parties also discussed Euro-integration processes, and the Attorney General confirmed Ukraine's full commitment to the European path, emphasizing the importance of fulfilling international obligations.

At the end of the meeting, the key needs for strengthening the institutional capacity of the prosecution authorities were also outlined. In this aspect, the Attorney General highlighted the importance of supporting frontline prosecutors and further digitalization, primarily the development and implementation of the electronic case management system "SMEREKA," as well as expanding the capabilities for using OSINT for documenting and analyzing international crimes.

The parties confirmed their readiness for active continued cooperation in all areas that will contribute to restoring justice and strengthening the rule of law in Ukraine.