The Office of the Prosecutor General continues its consistent work to establish and hold accountable all war criminals involved in the mass killings and torture of civilians during the temporary occupation of the city of Bucha in the Kyiv region. Prosecutors from the Department for Combating Crimes Committed in Armed Conflict have sent three indictments to court regarding four servicemen of the Russian Armed Forces. In addition, another military personnel has been notified of suspicion for cruel treatment of civilians. 

The accused are servicemen of the Russian Armed Forces who fought in various units of the 234th Air Assault Brigade of the 76th Air Assault Division of the Russian Airborne Troops. Their actions are charged under Part 1, 2 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

According to the investigation, in March 2022, a gunner of the parachute assault platoon, while patrolling one of the streets in Bucha, saw two local residents who, due to the lack of electricity and gas supply, were forced to light a fire to cook food. Hearing gunshots, they ran to the car to save themselves. However, the suspect opened fire on them without any warning. First at the one who was running by the car, and then at the other who was sitting in the passenger seat. The men died from the gunshot wounds they received.

Another serviceman, the deputy platoon commander, along with other servicemen of the Russian Armed Forces, was in one of the schools in Bucha from where they fired from mortars and self-propelled artillery systems. Local residents were also hiding in the basement of this school.

When he went out into the yard, he saw three civilians who were warming food over a fire. Without any explanation, using foul language, he ordered them to run and simultaneously began shooting at them with a traumatic pistol. The victims ran towards the basement, and the suspect shot at a man, hitting him in the torso. Immediately after this, the mentioned serviceman, moving after the victims, fired from automatic firearms at a civilian woman who was descending the stairs at that moment. The woman died. 

The investigation has established facts of systematic torture and psychological terror by Russian soldiers. They found residents in the basements of private houses, threatened them with firearms, and demanded information about the positions of Ukrainian forces, which the people did not possess.

Another deputy platoon commander of the 2nd battalion tactical group, trying to intimidate a local resident who heard the sound of broken glass and attempted to stop the looting, used his weapon. He forced the man to crawl on the ground, pressed the automatic rifle to his head, and fired near his ear.

Facts of "interrogations" involving gunshots near the heads of the victims, simulating their execution, have also been established. In some cases, the victims temporarily lost their hearing and suffered serious moral and psychological distress.

The investigation has identified and notified the deputy platoon commander – the commander of the combat vehicle of the 4th Air Assault Company of the 2nd battalion tactical group, who committed cruel treatment against a civilian.

Each established fact is documented and serves as a basis for holding the guilty accountable. The Office of the Prosecutor General, in cooperation with the Main Investigative Department of the National Police of Ukraine, continues its work to gather evidence of war crimes.