The Russian Investigative Committee has officially charged senior Ukrainian military officials with “terrorism”, as reported by The Kyiv Independent.
On October 3, the Russian Investigative Committee announced that four high-ranking representatives of the Ukrainian armed forces are accused of committing “terrorist acts on Russian territory.” In contrast, the Ukrainian military emphasizes that it targeted military objectives and other infrastructures crucial for the continuation of Russia’s war against Ukraine. Representatives of Ukraine’s allies in the West have underscored the legitimacy of these targets and supported Ukraine’s strikes in Russia and occupied Crimea. These individuals are to be added to the wanted list. Previously, the Investigative Committee had already included several members of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in this list, largely seen as a response to the ICC’s issuance of arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian official Maria Lwowa-Belowa. These warrants were related to the forced deportation of tens of thousands of Ukrainian children to Russia.
The individuals on this list are: Kyrylo Budanov, the head of military intelligence, Mykola Oleshchuk, the commander of the Air Force, Oleksii Neizhpapa, the commander of the Ukrainian Navy, and Serhii Burdeniuk, the commander of the 383rd separate regiment for remotely piloted aircraft. The announcement also claims that the commanders coerced their subordinates into supporting them in carrying out the “terrorist attacks.”
Image: Kremlin.ru, Vladimir Putin (24.06.2023), CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (image size modified)
.jpg){kind=link}