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Investigators Trace Bucha Killings to 13 Russian Commanders. Here’s What We Know
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British journalists from The Times have identified 13 Russian officers and generals implicated in war crimes in Bucha, Kyiv region, where Russian troops killed hundreds of civilians in March 2022 at the outbreak of the full-scale invasion.
The names were uncovered through the work of independent lawyers and investigators, who used open-source intelligence and received confirmation from Ukrainian law enforcement. The findings were supported by legal experts at the Global Rights Compliance foundation.
In addition to the 13 officers and generals, more than 80 Russian soldiers directly involved in the killings of civilians in Bucha have been officially identified, though most perpetrators remain unnamed.
Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office has verified eight of the names and issued official notices of suspicion—a preliminary step toward possible prosecutions in domestic courts and the International Criminal Court. Another five officers were identified through cross-referenced military records and charges filed against their subordinates, though they themselves have not yet been served with individual notices of suspicion.
Among those identified are:
Colonel General Aleksandr Chayko, then commander of Russia’s Eastern Military District at the start of the invasion.
Major General Sergey Chubarykin, commander of the 76th Guards Air Assault Division, whose troops committed most of the documented atrocities in Bucha, including executions, torture, and looting.
Colonel Artem Gorodilov, call sign “Uran,” commander of the 234th Regiment, accused of more than 40 war crimes during Bucha’s month-long occupation—the highest number recorded for a single unit. His soldiers carried out killings, rapes, and looting with his participation.
Lieutenant Colonel Azatbek Omurbekov, commander of the 64th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade, now one of the most infamous Russian officers wanted worldwide for atrocities, including those in Bucha.
Lieutenant Nikolai Sokovikov of the 5th Guards Tank Brigade, convicted in absentia and sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering civilians.
Colonel Andrei Kondrov, commander of the 5th Guards Tank Brigade, who issued orders enabling Sokovikov’s crimes.
Colonel General Aleksandr Sanchik.
Colonel General Valeri Solodchuk.
Colonel Yuri Medvedev.
Lieutenant Colonel Denis Suvorov.
Colonel Aleksei Tolmachet.
Major General Vladimir Seliverstov.
Major General Vadim Pankov.
Colonel Sergei Karasev.
Bucha was occupied by Russian forces from early March until the end of that month in 2022. During the occupation, hundreds of civilians were killed, many of them through summary executions, and thousands more were affected by violence.
According to Ukraine’s National Police, investigators have identified more than 2,500 Russian soldiers who were present in Bucha and named over 100 directly implicated in war crimes. Human Rights Watch and the UN have documented at least 73 unlawful killings of civilians, though Ukrainian officials estimate the true toll to be far higher.
Previously, Ukrainian military intelligence has released an audio intercept in which a Russian commander orders the execution of two captured Ukrainian soldiers.
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