Since start of full-scale war, 159,000 war crimes registered in Ukraine

This was reported in a comment to Ukrinform by Yurii Bielousov, Head of the Department for Countering Crimes at the Office of the Prosecutor General, following the press conference “Justice for War Crimes – Vision, Challenges, Coverage”.

“As of this morning, we have 159,000 war crimes registered over the past three years… We have around 850 suspects — these are Russian servicemen who have officially received the status of suspects. Out of that number, approximately 608 to 610 cases are currently being heard in Ukrainian courts. 158 individuals have already been convicted,” Bielousov said.

When asked about the proportion of court cases conducted in absentia (a special legal procedure allowing investigation and trial in the absence of the accused), Bielousov emphasized that the majority of cases are considered without the defendant being physically present. Only a small number of convicted individuals are actually serving their sentences in Ukraine.

“Regarding in absentia: out of 158 convicted war criminals, 18 are currently in our custody and serving their sentences in Ukraine. The remaining 140 convictions were issued through in absentia procedures,” he added.

The prosecutor stressed that it is currently difficult to say how many suspected Russian servicemen will remain in Ukraine to serve their sentences.

“It’s hard to say how many suspects are already ‘in our hands’ and awaiting court verdicts. There’s a nuance. The final decision on prisoner exchanges is made by the Office of the Prosecutor General. When we receive lists of individuals proposed for exchange, we review them carefully. If we find that an individual is under investigation for a particularly serious war crime — for example, torture or sexual violence — we do not allow that person to be exchanged,” Bielousov emphasized.

Bielousov stressed that for Ukraine, the priority is always to bring home Ukrainian prisoners, who are being held in horrific conditions.

“There can potentially be exceptions: on one hand, Ukraine must prosecute war crimes, and on the other — bring back our people from captivity. The main point I want to emphasize is this: if we exchange everyone, then the Russians will feel completely uninhibited in committing crimes in Ukraine. They’ll think, ‘even if I’m caught, I’ll be traded.’ To prevent that mindset, we do not exchange those who have committed serious war crimes,” Bielousov added.

As Ukrinform previously reported, regional offices of the Coordination Headquarters for the Return of Prisoners of War will begin operating across Ukraine.