10 Russian soldiers face war crimes charges after Bucha killings
A group of Russian soldiers now face criminal charges after being accused of holding Ukrainian civilians hostage and mistreating them in Bucha, a Kyiv suburb, The Wall Street Journal reports.
A total of 10 noncommissioned officers and privates of Russia's 64th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade were charged by Ukrainian authorities on Thursday. The Journal describes this as the "first such move by prosecutors investigating possible war crimes by Moscow's forces."
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres spoke in Kyiv on Thursday requesting a complete investigation into apparent crimes in Bucha, after traveling to Moscow two days prior to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
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Ukrainian officials say they found over 400 dead civilian bodies in mass graves, as well as on Bucha's streets and sidewalks in March when the Russian invasion of the city began.
"Our goal is to identify every criminal who committed a crime, for every crime to find its perpetrator," said Ruslan Kravchenko, Bucha's chief prosecutor.
Several of the bodies had bullet wounds and some had their wrists restrained behind their backs, authorities revealed. Some Bucha residents who were also held captive by Russian troops told investigators they were tortured and starved.
Putin, who previously called reports out of Bucha "fake," has moved to promote or otherwise honor the Russian soldiers in the accused brigade, reports the Journal.
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Kelsee Majette has worked as a social media editor at The Week since 2022. In 2019, she got her start in local television as a digital producer and fill-in weather reporter at NTV News. Kelsee also co-produced a lifestyle talk show while working in Nebraska and later transitioned to 13News Now as a digital content producer.
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