Bucha crimes: 211 suspects identified so far
Photo: Bucha (Getty Images)
In the spring of 2022, the world learned about the tragedy in Bucha. Today, the investigation into the crimes committed during the occupation of Bucha has moved into a systematic legal phase, with specific names, evidence, and suspects, according to the prosecutor general of Ukraine, Ruslan Kravchenko.
Read also: Ukrainian intelligence blows up vehicle with Russian soldiers linked to Bucha atrocities
The work of documenting crimes against the civilian population of Bucha continues within criminal proceedings. The investigation is identifying, by name, members of the Russian armed forces responsible for killings, torture, and unlawful detention of civilians.
In January 2026 alone, two more suspects in the Bucha crime cases were identified and formally charged.
Killings and torture of civilians
One of the suspects is the commander of an armored vehicle in the communications unit of the 234th Airborne Assault Regiment.
According to the investigation, on March 5, 2022, he, following orders, aimed a weapon at a civilian man intending to kill him. The victim survived only by attempting to flee and was injured.
Another suspect, a reconnaissance soldier from the 34th Separate Operational Brigade, along with comrades, unlawfully detained two local residents on March 24, 2022.
They were falsely accused of adjusting fire and subjected to brutal torture to extract information.
A separate case has been sent to court concerning a squad commander from the 234th regiment, who, during a patrol, shot an unarmed man who refused to follow orders. Sixteen shots were fired, killing the 41-year-old civilian.
How evidence is compiled
Investigations are mostly conducted in absentia. The investigation relies on expert analyses, witness testimonies, and photo and video materials, as well as OSINT, analysis of social networks, satellite images, and open sources.
These materials are used both in national courts and for future international trials.
Investigation results
To date, 211 individuals implicated in crimes in Bucha and the Bucha district have been identified and charged.
The work continues, and each confirmed fact brings the moment of legal accountability closer.
Ukrainian law enforcement authorities have reported a new stage of the investigation into crimes committed in Bucha during the occupation, announcing the identification of a Russian commander whose units were in the city during the period of Russian troop presence.
In one of the settlements of the Bucha district, Kyiv region, sappers neutralized an anti-tank guided missile that was accidentally discovered by a local resident, who reported it to emergency services.
