The massacre in Bucha. The EU imposed sanctions against nine people responsible

EU foreign ministers on Monday imposed sanctions on nine people responsible for crimes committed during the Bucha massacre, at the beginning of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The decision was announced on the fourth anniversary of the events that took place between February and March 2022.

The sanctions list included, among others: Col. Gen. Aleksandr Chaiko, former commander of the Eastern Military District of the Russian Federation and the highest-ranking Russian officer commanding the invasion forces at the beginning of full-scale aggression against Ukraine. While Russian troops were entering Bucha, Czajko served as the main commander of the operation.

Other countries were also subject to sanctionshigh-ranking officers who commanded Russian units in the first days of aggression. According to the EU, they are responsible for the activities carried out by their subordinate branches in Bucza and nearby towns, such as Hostomel, Irpień and Borodzianka. During this period, the EU reported, hundreds of civilians were murdered, in many cases by brutal executions. Soldiers reporting to sanctioned commanders also allegedly committed looting, torture, and forcing civilians to remove the bodies of fallen Russian soldiers.

One of the persons subject to sanctions is also responsible for adopting a child from the occupied part of the Donetsk Oblast. This child was illegally taken to Russia.

According to the EU, these actions constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity. The sanctions imposed include an asset freeze and a ban on entry and transit through the territory of EU Member States.

In total, the sanctions introduced by the EU in response to Russian aggression against Ukraine currently cover approximately 2,600 people and entities.

From Brussels Łukasz Osiński (PAP)

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