From the Telegram channel of the Russian Foreign Ministry. See also OCSE observers were spies and artillery fire corrector for the Ukrainian side.

🎙 Interview by Chairman of the Investigative Committee of Russia Alexander Bastrykin, to TASS News Agency (March 3, 2025)

Key talking points:

• Since 2014, the Investigative Committee has initiated 6’500 criminal cases related to crimes against peace and security of humanity, as well offensives against individuals and property. Most of the criminal cases under investigation involve shelling of civilians and civilian infrastructure by the Kiev regime, though evidence of other crimes of varying severity have been established as well.

• A total of 918 individuals are being held criminally liable in these cases, including members of the high command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and commanders of military units that have been targeting civilians.

• The investigation of 423 criminal cases against 566 Ukrainian servicemen and mercenaries has been completed. Evidence has been gathered of their involvement in using prohibited warfare methods, cruel treatment of prisoners of war and civilians, and murder and damage to property. Sentences have been handed down to 519 individuals, among them 145 members of the banned Azov regiment (designated as a terrorist organisation in Russia). Life sentences have been imposed on 62 individuals.

• Since February 2022, the investigative bodies have opened 5’031 criminal cases against servicemen of Ukraine’s armed formations which represent 80% of all ongoing cases.

• The evidence indicates that, beyond following orders from higher-ranking officials, motives for these crimes include political and ethnic hatred towards the Russian-speaking population.
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