Ukrainian authorities identified over 2500 Russian military personnel who were stationed in Bucha, Kyiv region, during the occupation in early 2022, according to Dmytro Shevchuk, head of the department investigating crimes committed during the war at the National Police of Ukraine’s Main Investigative Directorate.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces liberated Bucha from Russian occupation on 31 March 2022. The Russian occupation of Bucha lasted 33 days – from 27 February to 31 March 2022. During this period, 561 civilians, including 12 children, died as a result of Russian aggression.

Shevchuk revealed that 100 of these soldiers are linked to war crimes, with 34 already notified of suspicion.

“We have solved 72 murders committed by Russian soldiers in Bucha,” the National Police reported. “Twenty-four indictments have been sent to court.”

Law enforcement officials are investigating a criminal case involving the deaths of 358 civilians in Bucha. They have confirmed that Russian troops killed more than 300 of these victims.

“Many bodies were burned, which complicated the identification process,” police stated.

According to Shevchuk, the identification process continues. In 2024, the police had 60 unidentified bodies. Now this number is 13 bodies.

“The process is somewhat complicated by the condition in which we found these bodies – they were simply burned by the Russians. However, this process continues, and relevant forensic examinations are ongoing,” he added.

On 31 March, on the third anniversary of Bucha’s liberation from Russian occupation, Ukraine commemorated the brutal period of Russian troop occupation in Kyiv’s suburbs, which left hundreds of civilians dead and exposed widespread atrocities committed by Russian forces.

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