As of today, 13 bodies of citizens killed by Russian forces in Bucha at the beginning of the full-scale invasion remain unidentified. This was reported by the head of the International Crimes Investigation Department of the Main Investigative Department of the National Police of Ukraine, Dmytro Shevchuk, during a TV broadcast, answering a question about the results of the year-long investigation into war crimes in Bucha.
"Regarding the investigation of the Bucha case, we are investigating the circumstances surrounding the deaths of 358 civilians. As of today, we can confidently say that over 300 of them were killed by Russian military forces. The process of identification continues. Currently, this number stands at 13 bodies. The process is complicated by the condition in which these bodies were found – they were simply burned by the Russians. However, the process continues, and relevant forensic examinations are underway," said Shevchuk.
He provided updates on various crimes committed by Russian forces during their occupation of Bucha, revealing that over the past year, police have solved 72 murders and documented more than 35 instances of cruel treatment of civilians in various forms, from torture to sexual violence.
In response to a question, the representative of the GSU reminded that Ukrainian police have already identified more than 2,500 Russian soldiers who were in Bucha at that time.
"The main unit responsible for committing mass crimes is the 234th Air Assault Regiment of the 76th Air Assault Division. Ukrainian police, in cooperation with the Office of the Prosecutor General, have charged 34 individuals (Russian soldiers), and indictments have already been sent to court for 24 of them," said the law enforcement officer.
Regarding future plans for the investigation and the prospects of these cases, he assured that war criminals would not escape punishment for the crimes they committed, no matter what.
According to Shevchuk, Ukrainian police are currently focused on holding accountable the direct perpetrators of these crimes and mid-level commanders.
The GSU representative stated that, moving forward, law enforcement will build a larger case targeting the senior commanders responsible for issuing orders and instructions to eliminate civilian populations.
"We are actively cooperating with our international partners and law enforcement agencies in other countries. And today, there have already been concrete results, including specific arrests on the territory of EU countries," the representative of the NPU informed.
Three years ago, on March 31, 2022, the Defense Forces liberated Bucha in the Kyiv region.
