Case of Russia’s crime of aggression against Ukraine already involves 642 suspects

The Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office has already identified 642 suspects in the case of Russia’s crime of aggression against Ukraine, including Russian top military and political figures.

The relevant statement was made by Head of the Department for Combating Crimes Committed in Conditions of Armed Conflict of the Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office Yuriy Bielousov during the press conference ‘International Military Tribunal: What has changed in a year?’ at Ukrinform.

“In addition to war crime cases, there is a huge main case of the crime of aggression. Here, we are trying to document the Russian military and political leadership. We have 642 suspects, including Russia’s defense minister, chief  of the general staff, heads of Russian security agencies, senators and deputies of Russia’s State Duma, head of Russia’s Central Bank, i.e. a large circle of persons who, with their actions, either contributed, planned or organized the crime of aggression itself,” Bielousov told.

Moreover, Bielousov stressed the importance of bringing to justice Russian propagandists, who are actually financed from Russia’s state budget and broadcast messages in support of the Russian leadership, aggression against Ukraine and the genocide of Ukrainians.

“About 176 cases [related to Russia’s crime of aggression – Ed.] are already in court. We have approximately 18 verdicts. The first verdicts apply to the deputies of Russia’s State Duma, who also contributed to what is happening in Ukraine,” Bielousov noted.

A reminder that a total of 71,147 Russian war crimes have already been recorded in Ukraine.