Who are the war criminals in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine?

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Russian forces have been accused of committing different war crimes: killing of civilians, shelling with cluster munitions, looting and rape.

Reports from Amnesty International and the OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) have already pointed to hundreds of cases, and the ICC (International Criminal Court) is conducting its own investigation.

In total, there are more than 23,000 cases investigated by several countries, resulting in 45 countries meeting to gather evidence and appoint those responsible.

However, these processes can take time. For example, at the end of June, the ICC issued three arrest warrants for war crimes committed during the 2008 Russia-Georgia conflict. Also, little is known about the perpetrators of these crimes, which are under investigation, but there are already some cases. they became famous.

Know the cases of criminals in the war in Ukraine:

Vadim Shishimarin

Sergeant Vadim Shishimarin, 21, was charged with shooting 62-year-old civilian Olkesandre Chelipov in northeastern Ukraine in the early days of the conflict. He was tried on May 23, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life imprisonment – on appeal the sentence was reduced to 15 years.

In his statement, the soldier said he acted under pressure from another soldier as he tried to flee to Russia in a stolen car with four other soldiers. Shishimarin, who was born in Irkutsk, Siberia, sought forgiveness during a brief conversation with Chelipov’s widow at the Kyiv court in May.

Alexander Bobikin and Alexander Ivanov

The other two Russian soldiers convicted were Alexander Bobikin and Alexander Ivanov, who at the beginning of the war were accused of bombing two sites in the Kharkov region in the northeastern part of the country with missile launchers.

The Russians, who were found guilty of “violating the customs and traditions of the war”, were sentenced to 11 and a half years in prison, according to the Interfax-Ukraine news agency. Like Chichimarine, they “fully admitted their guilt and declared that they were sorry”.

Mikhail Romanov

Russian military officer Mikhail Romanov became the first person to be formally accused of rape during the occupation of Ukraine. According to the Prosecutor General of Ukraine, during the occupation of Brovary in the Kyiv region in March, soldiers broke into a house and killed its owner.

Later, Romanov, along with another unidentified soldier, raped the murdered man’s wife several times and threatened him with guns and violence against his son. Romanov has not yet been tried by the Ukrainian court.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine identified at least 13 sexual crimes committed by Russian forces in the Kyiv region.

Vasily Litvinenko

Lieutenant Vasily Litvinenko was accused by the Prosecutor General of Ukraine of ordering his subordinates to shoot unarmed civilians and set fire to residential buildings in Lipivka in the Kyiv region.

At least one person was killed in the attack and his home was hit by a Russian tank.

The prosecution is also investigating the extent of possible crimes committed by Litvinenko, according to a report by Truth Hounds, a non-governmental organization investigating war crimes in Ukraine. Litvinenko has not yet been tried by the Ukrainian court.

Wagner Group

The private military company Wagner Group was also accused of involvement in crimes committed during the occupation of Ukraine. Three members of the company, who have a strong relationship with the Russian government – but which Moscow denies having any ties to – are accused by the Prosecutor General of Ukraine of participating in the torture and murder of civilians in Motyshin in the Kyiv region.

Together with the five Russian soldiers, they were going to set these people’s houses on fire. Eight people are also suspected of killing an NGO Patriot member and keeping two more volunteers in jail, according to the Truth Hounds survey.