EU sanctions Russian officers over Bucha atrocities
Photo: Russian war criminals have been sanctioned for atrocities in Bucha (Getty Images)
The Council of the European Union has approved new sanctions against nine Russian military personnel involved in the atrocities committed in Bucha in 2022, according to the press service of the EU Council.
Key figures on the list
The highest-ranking officer on the new sanctions list is Colonel General Aleksandr Chayko. At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, he served as commander of the Eastern Military District and was the main Russian military commander on the front during the period when Russian forces entered Bucha.
In addition to him, sanctions were imposed on senior military officers who commanded units in the following settlements:
- Bucha;
- Hostomel;
- Irpin;
- Borodianka.
Details of the crimes
Investigators have established that under the command of these individuals, Russian troops carried out mass killings of hundreds of civilians, including brutal executions. Units under their command were also involved in torture and looting.
One of the individuals on the list is also responsible for the illegal adoption of a child who had been deported to Russia from the occupied part of the Donetsk region.
Sanctions measures
The following measures were imposed on the nine individuals:
- freezing of all assets within EU countries;
- a ban on entering the European Union or transiting through its territory;
- a prohibition on EU citizens and companies providing any financial resources to these individuals.
Investigation of the Bucha atrocities
As of early 2026, Ukrainian law enforcement agencies have identified and charged 211 individuals involved in the killings, torture, and unlawful detention of civilians in the Bucha district.
The investigation is ongoing within criminal proceedings, with evidence being built on eyewitness testimonies, forensic examinations, satellite imagery, and OSINT intelligence data.
