‘We are talking about crimes related to Russia’s military aggression. 29 criminal proceedings have already been forwarded to court. Out of this number of cases, 1,694 proceedings were opened on violation of laws and customs of war - under Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine,’ the Head of the SSU Ivan Bakanov informed. 

The SSU is currently documenting facts of mass killings of residents of Bucha, Irpen, Hostomel, Sumy, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Mariupol, Mykolayiv and other settlements.

‘The geography of these crimes varies, but their essence is the same. Wherever the Russian army comes, it brings death and destruction. Killings of civilians, rape of women and children, mass shootings, looting… This is the true face of the Russian Federation. Or rather - its beastly grin. Because a normal person can’t even imagine such things,’ the SSU Head emphasized.

The crimes of occupiers are characterized by cruel treatment of civilians, torture and intentional killings, use of unlawful tools and weapons, shelling and destruction of civilian and critical infrastructure, etc.

The largest number of such episodes are investigated within criminal proceedings on Russian war crimes in Bucha, Mariupol and Kharkiv region.

Therefore, the SSU has already notified 900 persons of suspicion. Of these, 627 are Russian citizens, including Russia’s top leadership, a number of State Duma members, propagandists, cultural figures, and 219 military servicemen. Among them are the three detained pilots who bombed Kharkiv, Balakleya, Kupyansk, Izium and Konotop.

‘Our task is to make every effort to ensure that occupiers receive inevitable punishment for each of their crimes. In this context, coordinated work of the entire law enforcement sector is extremely important. We are making these efforts nationwide, and I am sure that they will yield results,’ Ivan Bakanov underscored.