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Ukraine Names Russian Soldiers Accused of Executing 17 Civilians in Bucha Massacre

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Ivan Khomenko
News Writer
Officials exhume bodies of civilians from a mass grave behind St. Andrew’s Church in Bucha, Ukraine, following Russian attacks. April 10, 2022. (Source: Getty Images)
Officials exhume bodies of civilians from a mass grave behind St. Andrew’s Church in Bucha, Ukraine, following Russian attacks. April 10, 2022. (Source: Getty Images)

Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Directorate (HUR) has revealed the names and personal data of five Russian servicemen accused of executing 17 civilians in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha during Russia’s occupation in 2022.

According to HUR, the suspects served in the 234th Air Assault Regiment of Russia’s 76th Air Assault Division. Their identities were established through a joint investigation with Ukraine’s National Police, which has formally charged all five with war crimes.

The individuals named are:

  • Lieutenant Yuriy Kim (born 1997), platoon commander in the 4th Air Assault Company of the 2nd Battalion Tactical Group;

  • Private Yevgeniy Meshalkin (born 2001), rifleman-operator;

  • Senior Sergeant Anatoliy Pavlov (born 1990), gun commander in the 2nd self-propelled artillery battery;

  • Senior Sergeant Shamil Gasanguliyev, section commander in the 4th Air Assault Company;

  • Senior Soldier Pavel Kretinin (born 1985), deputy platoon commander in the 2nd Battalion Tactical Group.

Investigators found that the accused participated in executions, torture, and attempts to conceal their crimes by burning the victims’ bodies. The killings took place in the area of Ivan Franko, Maksym Rydzanych, and Naberezhna Streets in Bucha.

The Defense Intelligence Directorate stated that the suspects not only carried out extrajudicial killings but also intimidated civilians during the occupation. “Each war crime committed against the Ukrainian people will receive fair retribution,” HUR said in its statement.

The Bucha massacre, uncovered after Russian forces withdrew from the Kyiv region in March 2022, became one of the defining symbols of atrocities committed during the early phase of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

According to Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office, more than 1,400 civilians were killed in Bucha district, including hundreds found in mass graves.

Earlier, The Times reported that 13 Russian commanders have been identified in connection with war crimes committed in Bucha, Ukraine, during March 2022.

According to the investigation, conducted in collaboration with Ukrainian authorities and legal experts from Global Rights Compliance, the officers include senior figures from Russia’s Eastern Military District, Air Assault Divisions, and Motor Rifle Brigades.

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