Speaking of war crimes
The Sunday Times has published an investigation that reveals the identities of the 13 commanding officers in charge of Russian troops accused of the Bucha massacres. Their identities have been compiled by independent lawyers and investigators using open-source intelligence, and all 13 have been confirmed by the Ukrainian security services.
Colonel General Aleksandr Chayko, commander of the Eastern Military District, led the Russian army at the outset of the invasion and was the most senior officer on the ground in Ukraine.
Colonel General Aleksandr Sanchik. Troops under his command allegedly tortured and raped civilians in Bucha.
Colonel Azatbek Omurbekov, from the 64th Separate Motorised Rifle Brigade, personally had a hand in "gross violations of human rights" including "direct responsibility in killings, rape and torture," according to the US state department. He was one of the bloodiest commanders stationed in Bucha during the occupation.
Colonel General Valeri Solodchuk led Russian soldiers who are accused of killings in Bucha. He was promoted by Putin this year.
Colonel Yuri Medvedev. Soldiers reporting to him said to have committed more than 40 acts of rape. He was killed by mutinous Russian troops in 2022.
Colonel Andrei Kondrov. His troops were accused of robbing civilian houses in Bucha and killing unarmed civilians.
Major General Sergei Chubarykin, head of the elite 76th Guards Air Assault Division. Soldiers under his direct command allegedly carried out the majority of the war crimes in Bucha, including executions, torture and widespread looting.
Colonel Artem Gorodilov. Under US sanctions for "gross violations of human rights" including extrajudicial killings.
Lieutenant Colonel Denis Suvorov personally abducted a Ukrainian officer, tied him to a tree and tortured him before dumping his body in an open pit.
Colonel Aleksei Tolmachet. His regiment has been accused of unlawful detention, mock executions, ill treatment and looting.
Major General Vladimir Seliverstov was stationed at the command post on Yablunska Street in Bucha, described as the nerve centre for the violence.
Major General Vadim Pankov allegedly ordered soldiers to kill 30 local residents and forced civilians to clear up the bodies of dead Russian soldiers.
Colonel Sergei Karasev has been accused of assaulting a woman, knocking out her teeth with his gun, and of shooting a civilian in the head.
In Bucha, hundreds of residents were killed and subjected to brutal torture. More than 100 were buried in a mass grave outside the Orthodox Christian church. Some civilians were shot while trying to escape. A children’s summer camp basement was turned into a torture site, where women and children were systematically raped. Russian soldiers cut throats, mutilated bodies, and executed parents in front of their children. More than 500 civilian bodies have been recovered. Dozens more are still missing. The United Nations has described the atrocities as ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.
Investigation: https://t.co/jUmejTMMv7
Unmasked: 13 Russian officers who led ‘war crime’ troops in Bucha | The Times and The Sunday Times