Ukraine releases photos of ten Russian troops accused of being among ‘Butchers of Bucha’

28 April 2022, 20:42

Ukrainian military officials have released the names and images of ten Russian soldiers who they believe took part in horrific war crimes against civilians in Ukraine.

The group of soldiers - dubbed 'The Despicable Ten' by the Ukrainian army - are accused of carrying out atrocities in the town of Bucha.

Ukraine's Ministry of Defence released the images of the 'most wanted' men on social media, stating: "Ten Russian butchers from the 64th brigade have been identified and named suspects responsible for committing the Bucha massacre."

"This unit [has] been awarded for its atrocities, and returned to the battlefield. Justice for war criminals is inevitable."

Graphic images and videos were released last month that showed dozens of dead civilians and mass graves in Bucha and other towns around Kyiv.

There were also multiple reports of mass rape and torture chambers in the region by Russian soldiers.

It was reported that over 400 bodies, many tortured and mutilated, were discovered in Bucha following the Russian withdrawal from the region.

Russian president Vladmir Putin previously signed a decree praising the 64th Motorised Infantry Brigade for “mass heroism and valour.'

The Ukraine army claims that the ten men - who are said to be a part of the same regiment - face charges of war crimes against the people of Ukraine.

Ukraine Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova said: "We will not stop until we bring each of them to justice."

Aged between 24 and 33, the soldiers of varying rank are now thought to be fighting in the Donbas. The head of the unit Azatbek Asanbekovich Omurbekov was reportedly promoted to the rank of Colonel after the invasion.

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But, some analysts say Putin has sent the unit to the front lines of the war in the hope they'll be killed before they can reveal the extent of the war crimes in Bucha.

A United Nations mission to Bucha documented "the unlawful killing, including by summary execution, of some 50 civilians there", the UN's Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said.

It comes as Putin threatens to unleash nuclear strikes on allies of Ukraine who "interfere" in his "special operation", which is entering its third month.

The Russian President issued a chilling warning to legislators in a speech in St Petersburg threatening retaliatory strikes.

"If someone from the outside tries to intervene in Ukraine then our response will be lightning fast,” he said.

"We have all the weapons we need for this."No one else can brag about weapons, and we won’t brag about them. But we will use them.

"The Defence Secretary said he is "not rattled" by Putin's threats, saying Nato "outgun him, outnumber him and have potentially all the capabilities at our disposal".

He said: "I don't fear him, and I think we should be very grateful in this country that we have a nuclear deterrent."