For the first time, the USA accused Russian soldiers of war crimes in Ukraine. Among the suspects is “DPR” commander Suren Mkrtchan

The USA accuses four Russian soldiers of war crimes in Ukraine. They are suspected of kidnapping and torturing an American who lived in Ukraine.

This is reported by CNN.

It is the first time the US Department of Justice has brought charges under the law, which pursues those who commit war crimes against American citizens abroad.

Attorney General Merrick Garland called it "an important step toward accountability for the illegal war in Ukraine."

According to the indictment, the Russian military forcibly abducted the American from his home in the Ukrainian village of Mylove in the Kherson region, and then beat and tortured him in a Russian military town, where they held him for 10 days in April 2022. While abducting the man, Russian soldiers allegedly stripped him naked, tied his hands behind his back and beat him.

While in captivity, the American was allegedly tortured by the four suspects and other accomplices during at least two interrogations. They stripped the prisoner naked, severely beat him and photographed him. The occupiers simulated the execution of a prisoner by forcing him to the ground, putting a gun to the back of his head, and then firing a bullet just past his head. The American was also threatened with sexual violence and forced to dig trenches.

According to the prosecutor, two of the suspects were commanders of the armed forces of the Russian Federation, and the other two were of lower rank.

The indictment states that the American did not fight in the war and was under the protection of the 1949 Geneva Convention. The name of the victim has not been released.

The suspects are Suren Mkrtchan, Dmitry Budnik, Valery and Nazar. The surnames of the latter are unknown. The men were charged with four counts, including illegal imprisonment, conspiracy to commit war crimes, inhumane treatment and torture.

In September 2022, the Center for Journalistic Investigations wrote about Mkrtchan. He is on the "Peacemaker" website and was the chief of staff of the regiment in the "DPR" corps. During the occupation of Kherson Oblast, he was involved in the kidnapping of people and the rape of women at checkpoints.

• Currently, approximately 97,000 cases of war crimes committed by Russians have been opened in Ukraine. The collection of evidence and the investigation of crimes are not only handled by the Prosecutor Generalʼs Office, but also by the International Criminal Court, prosecutors and investigators of third countries, as well as human rights organizations.
• The Prosecutor Generalʼs Office reported that they cooperate with American colleagues on an ongoing basis and exchange information on Russiaʼs international crimes.