Russian investigator charges 92 Ukrainians with 'crimes against humanity' amid war

Russia has charged 92 members of the Ukrainian armed forces with crimes against humanity, announced the head of Russia's investigative committee, Alexander Bastrykin. Further, informing the Moscow-backed news site Rossiiskaya Gazeta, he said that over 1,300 criminal investigations had been launched against the Ukrainian army personnel so far. 

The head of the investigative committee also claimed that some 96 people, including 51 armed forces commanders, are also wanted in Moscow. He has also proposed that an international tribunal be set up to investigate the accusations with countries including Bolivia, Iran and Syria as they have an "independent position on the Ukrainian issue".

Bastrykin, while talking to the Russian newspaper, said that the Ukrainians charged were involved in "crimes against the peace and security of humanity". 

"In the course of a preliminary investigation, over 220 people have been identified as being involved in crimes against peace and security of mankind and this figure includes representatives of the Ukrainian military high command as well as commanders of military detachments, who bombarded civilians," Bastrykin said in an interview with Russia’s Rossiiskaya Gazeta daily.

It was also reported that the most massive bombardments by the Ukrainian military in recent months happened in Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR). 

Meanwhile, Ukraine on the other hand is also conducting investigations. Earlier this month, the worn-torn country said that it was examining more than 21,000 war crimes and crimes of aggression allegedly committed by the Russian soldiers. However, Russia has denied all the charges of war crimes and the claims that it is targeting Ukrainian civilians.  

Cases of war crimes since beginning of Russia-Ukraine war

Notably, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has described Ukraine as a "crime scene" and has also sent a team of investigators to probe the incidences. 

Earlier in June, two British nationals and a Morocco citizen were sentenced to death by a Russian proxy court in eastern Ukraine as they were fighting for Kyiv. Bastrykin also told the newspaper that a few suspected mercenaries from the UK, the US, Canada, the Netherlands and Georgia are also being investigated. 

While in Ukraine, a Russian tank commander was sentenced to life for killing a civilian during an attack. His sentence was the first war crimes trial since the invasion.

US 'considering' to declare Russia a state sponsor of terrorism

As the war continues, the United States is considering declaring Moscow a state sponsor of terrorism.  However, the matter of declaring Russia a state sponsor of terrorism in Ukraine “requires careful analysis” in relation to the American laws, said Bridget Brink, the US Ambassador to Ukraine.

The Ambassador to Ukraine also informed that Russia has been removed from the list to receive financing from international financial institutions and the US has also restricted Moscow from using any funds of the central bank to repay its debt.