Probes launched into 75 foreign 'mercenaries' in Ukraine - Russia

RT
Tue, 03 May 2022 12:55 UTC

© Sputnik/Aleksey Nikolskyi

Chairman of Russia’s Investigative Committee Alexander Bastrykin

Russia's Investigative Committee has launched at least 75 criminal probes into foreign "mercenaries" fighting against Russian forces in Ukraine, the committee's chairman, Alexander Bastrykin, told RT. He claimed that among the individuals are British, American, Norwegian, Canadian, and Georgian nationals.

In an interview published on Tuesday, Bastrykin said the Russian authorities had collected extensive evidence implicating these foreign fighters, and some have been captured by Russian troops, he added.

When asked to comment on the criminal investigations opened in Ukraine, as well as those opened by the International Criminal Court into a number of Russian officials, Bastrykin called the probes "obviously absurd and unlawful," citing cases in which the Ukrainian authorities accused Russian nationals of war crimes despite the fact that the individuals had apparently left the Russian Army long ago.

The head of the Investigative Committee revealed that his subordinates had countered these "unlawful" Ukrainian investigations by launching at least 14 of their own probes into the Ukrainian officials behind them.

On the topic of crimes allegedly committed by Ukrainian forces in the two breakaway Donbass republics, Bastrykin said that since 2014, his committee has initiated around 800 criminal investigations into current and former members of Ukraine's political leadership, as well as the top brass of some of the country's security services and "radical nationalist organizations."

He revealed that among the suspects in these cases are Ukraine's former interior minister, Arsen Avakov, as well as the former governor of Dnepropetrovsk Region, Igor Kolomoisky.

According to Bastrykin, the vast majority of the crimes investigated by the Russian authorities regard the shelling of the civilian population with artillery, ballistic missiles, mortars, and firearms, noting that these actions are classified as inhumane treatment of civilians, the use of banned weapons and methods in an armed conflict, and even as genocide. He said that 115 individuals have been identified in connection with these cases, adding that the number is likely to increase over time as the committee continues to investigate.

Bastrykin claimed that since the start of Russia's military offensive on February 24, Ukrainian forces have committed similar crimes, predominantly targeting the Russian-speaking population of the Donbass who "opposed Kiev's nationalist policies."

The head of Russia's Investigative Committee said it has recognized as many as 59,000 people as victims, and is helping them file lawsuits to claim compensation from the Ukrainian government.

Comment: Ukrainian POWs offer detailed descriptions of their country's crimes:

Russia is holding about 2,000 Ukrainian servicemen "who have voluntarily laid down their arms," including five brigade commanders who "were fighting against the Donbass population," the head of the Investigative Committee Alexander Bastrykin announced on Tuesday in an interview with RT.

"Everyone sees that Ukrainian servicemen, no matter how it sounds in the Western media and propagandist social media, prefer to surrender when a good opportunity arises. They understand the futility of resistance...offering many details about the circumstances of the Ukrainian regime's crimes."

The testimonies of those captured have provided the Russian authorities with information about the Ukrainian forces' work with foreign advisors, as well as about foreign mercenaries.

He mentioned a Georgian national who is said to have created an armed formation called Georgian National Legion on Ukrainian territory, which included at least 24 of his compatriots as mercenaries. Some of them also surrendered and were questioned by investigators.

Commenting on the reports of alleged torture of Russian prisoners of war by the Ukrainians, Bastrykin said that "a number of such crimes" are currently being investigated. He cited two examples of such incidents:
First, when the Ukrainians allegedly "systematically used physical violence" against several Russian servicemen whom they captured in Zaporozhye Region and "illegally held" for ten days. "They tried to beat information out of them about the progress of the special military operation," Bastrykin explained.

The second incident involved two groups of Russian soldiers who were captured in the Nikolayev Region and were allegedly also subject "to physical and psychological violence. There are always chances to determine those involved, because there are no crimes without traces."

Ukrainian authorities had previously stressed that the abuse of prisoners is a war crime and would not be tolerated. Ukrainian presidential adviser Alexey Arestovich commented on a video that seemed to show Russian POWs being tortured by members of Ukrainian forces:

"We are a European army, and we do not mock our prisoners... I would like to remind all our military, civilian and defense forces once again that the abuse of prisoners is a war crime that has no amnesty under military law and has no statute of limitations."

On Monday, the Ukrainian Human Rights ombudsman Lyudmila Denisova took to Telegram to accuse the Russian "occupiers" and "racists" of torturing Ukrainian soldiers captured in Mariupol. According to Denisova, the Ukrainians were "threatened with murder, beaten and humiliated" and deprived of water and medical assistance.