Ukraine’s Prosecutor General has named 10 Russian soldiers allegedly involved in human rights abuses during the month-long occupation of Bucha.
Iryna Venediktova also told German television that since the Russian invasion, Ukrainian investigators have identified “more than 8,000 cases” of alleged war crimes, including allegations of “killing of civilians, bombing of civilian infrastructure, torture” and “sex crimes”.
Her comments came as the International Criminal Court (ICC) intensified its investigation into alleged war crimes committed in Ukraine since the war began. The Dutch government will “very soon” send a team of “several dozen” forensic scientists to Ukraine on behalf of the ICC to collect evidence of human rights violations, the ANP press agency reported on Thursday.
The withdrawal of Russian forces from Kyiv in early April left chilling evidence of atrocities in the region’s suburbs and cities, where dozens of bodies in civilian clothes littered the streets or were buried in shallow graves.
In a Facebook post Thursday, Venediktova identified 10 soldiers — two NCOs, four non-commissioned officers and four privates — all “involved in the torture of peaceful people” during the brutal occupation of Bucha, a small commuter town 18.5 miles north. west of Kyiv.
Venediktova said the soldiers were part of the 64th Motor Rifle Brigade, a unit stationed in the Khabarovsk Krai on the Pacific coast of far eastern Russia.
“During the occupation of Bucha, they took unarmed civilians hostage, killing them with hunger and thirst and holding them on their knees with their hands tied and their eyes taped. [The hostages] were mocked and beaten with fists and rifle butts. They were beaten for information about their whereabouts [Ukrainian] Armed Forces…and some were tortured for no reason,” she wrote.
Venediktova appealed to the public to help gather evidence, saying Ukrainian prosecutors and police officers are now investigating whether any of the men were also involved in murders.
Ukraine, along with a number of Western countries and human rights organizations, have accused Russian forces of outright killings of civilians in Bucha.
Stanislav Kozynchuk, deputy head of the prosecutor’s office for the Kyiv region, said investigators work with victims to identify the perpetrators of human rights abuses.
“Our suspects are military from the Russian Federation,” he said. “We understand who was there, what happened, and now we’re investigating these military units that were involved in the killings.”
Some of the soldiers involved have already been deployed to combat in eastern Ukraine, he said.
In a recent report, Human Rights Watch said that “Russian forces committed a slew of apparent war crimes during their occupation” of the city, adding that investigators found “ample evidence of summary executions, other unlawful killings, enforced disappearances and torture.” found. all of which would constitute war crimes and potential crimes against humanity.”
The Guardian has reported that dozens of civilians who died during the Russian occupation of Bucha were killed by tiny metal darts from shells fired by Russian artillery.
Earlier this month, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry identified the 64th Motorized Rifle Brigade of Russia as the unit that occupied Bucha and released the names, ranks and passport details of all soldiers.
Moscow has repeatedly denied any involvement in the alleged human rights abuses, while Russian state television aired reports claiming the images of dead civilians in Bucha were staged or the result of crimes committed by Ukrainian forces.
During a meeting with UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Tuesday at the Kremlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that “Russian forces had no ties with Bucha”.
“We know who did it. We know who prepared this provocation… We know who they are,” Putin added without giving further details.
Earlier this month, Putin gave the 64th Motor Rifle Brigade the honorary title of “Guard” and praised the unit for its “great heroism and bravery.”
“This high award recognizes your special merits, great heroism and courage in defending your fatherland and protecting Russia’s sovereignty and national interests,” Putin said in a statement.