Russia reveals number of Ukrainian crimes under investigation — RT Russia and the former Soviet Union

More than 1,300 criminal cases have been filed for crimes allegedly committed by the Ukrainian army and its officials during the conflict between Moscow and kyiv, the head of the Russian investigative commission, Alexander Bastrykin, said on Monday.

Russian investigators are investigating possible illegal actions of “the representatives of the military and political leadership of [Ukraine]members of radical nationalist units, as well as representatives of Ukrainian armed formations,” Bastrykin told the Rossiyskaya Gazeta newspaper in an interview.

More than 1,300 criminal cases, involving more than 400 people, have been opened for violations committed by the Ukrainian side since the start of the Russian military operation on February 24, he said.

According to Bastrykin, preliminary investigations have already found more than 220 suspects, « including representatives of the High Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and commanders of military units who fired at civilians, for being involved in crimes against the peace and security of mankind, which have no limitation period. »

So far, charges have been brought against 92 Ukrainian commanders and their subordinates, and 96 suspects have been placed on the wanted list, he added.

« Nothing can justify the use of force by Ukrainian nationalists », insisted the head of the commission of inquiry. “They are intensively bombing the People’s Republics of Donetsk and Lugansk. They brutally and cynically target peaceful citizens, civilian infrastructure, including children’s institutions.

He also accused Ukrainian forces of hitting their own territory « in order to blame the Russian military for this. »

During the conflict, Moscow insisted that its troops never targeted civilians, hitting only Ukrainian forces and military infrastructure.

More than 7,000 civilian facilities were destroyed in attacks from the Ukrainian side, including homes, schools and kindergartens, and more than 91,000 people were named as victims, Bastrykin pointed out.

Criminal cases have also been launched against citizens of the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Georgia and the Netherlands for their involvement in the conflict as mercenaries, as well as cases of torture of prisoners. Russian war crimes by members of Ukrainian nationalist units, attacks on Russian embassies in foreign countries, and for other acts, he said.

“It is essential to continue to objectively inform the international community of what happened [in Ukraine] These last months, » insisted the head of the commission of inquiry.

Last month, the since sacked Ukrainian Prosecutor General, Irina Venediktova, announced that her agency had launched more than 16,500 criminal cases against the Russian military. About 200 such cases are initiated every day, she said.