Venediktova: Investigation has identified the first suspect in war crimes in Bucha

The investigation has identified the first suspect in war crimes in Bucha — the commander of the Russian National Guard Sergei Kolotsei.

This was announced by Prosecutor General Irina Venediktova.

Kolosei is the commander of the division of the Federal Service of the National Guard of the Russian Federation in the Ulyanovsk oblast. "Bucha prosecutors and police have established that it was this serviceman who killed four unarmed men in Bucha on March 18," she said.

On March 29, according to Venediktova, Kolosei tortured another civilian to confess to subversive activities against the Russian army. He took a pro-Ukrainian local resident to the basement, where he beat him with his hands, a machine gun, and a guard of the knife. The man was taken to the place of execution, where, imitating the massacre, he was shot near his ear. A separate perverted form of bullying and intimidation of the victim was forcing him to sniff a dead person," the prosecutor general added.

On the basis of the evidence gathered, prosecutors informed the National Guard of Russia about the suspicion of ill-treatment of civilians and other violations of the laws and customs of war, combined with premeditated murder (parts 1, 2 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code). The investigation also expressed special gratitude to the project of Slidstvo.Info journalists who assisted the investigation. Koloseiʼs involvement in other killings in Bucha is currently being investigated.

Venediktova also called on Ukrainians who recognize Kolosei and have evidence of his involvement in other atrocities to send evidence to this portal, or contact the Kyiv Oblast Prosecutorʼs Office by phone: 097-053-04-65, 097-838-31-87, 050 -107-66-75; Bucha District Prosecutorʼs Office: 063-530-69-06.