Russian commander accused of Bucha atrocities identified by Ukraine.
Ukraine’s Security Service claims it has identified a Russian commander linked to allegations of ordering the shooting of civilians in Bucha.
In a statement on Thursday, the SBU revealed it’s probing Vadym Ovchinnikov, a Russian intelligence group commander, accused of issuing orders for the shooting of a Ukrainian family during the occupation of Bucha in March 2022.
“The Security Service identified another Russian occupant involved in mass civilian killings during the Kyiv region occupation.” The individual is Senior Lieutenant Vadym Ovchinnikov, the commander of the reconnaissance platoon of the 37th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 36th Combined Arms Army of the Eastern Military District of the Russian Federation,” states the SBU.
Allegations Against Ovchinnikov and Subordinates
Ovchinnikov allegedly directly participated in capturing Bucha district villages, using armored vehicles to intimidate locals with subordinates.
In a March 2022 raid, Ovchinnikov purportedly ordered subordinates to fire on civilian vehicles approaching a Russian infantry vehicle.
“A Ukrainian family was in the car, trying to leave Severynivka for Uman in Cherkasy region,” reports the statement, noting that a man, his wife, and their 15-year-old daughter died on the spot, with only the 9-year-old daughter surviving.
The SBU identifies five subordinates who allegedly executed the “criminal order to shoot local residents” in accordance with the investigation.
Ovchinnikov and his associates face an investigation for alleged war law violations, customs breaches, and premeditated group murder.
The SBU, without revealing the suspects’ locations, assured they will pursue Russian war criminals through comprehensive measures, wherever they are.
Bucha, situated northwest of Kyiv, was occupied by Russian forces shortly after Ukraine’s February 2022 invasion. Ukraine’s prosecutor general alleges thousands of Bucha war crimes and hundreds of deaths before March 2022 liberation.
The Kremlin denies involvement in mass killings and unsubstantiatedly claims that civilian casualty images are fabricated.