Police notify two Russian servicemen of crimes during occupation of Bucha
Investigators from the National Police have notified two servicemen of the Russian Armed Forces of suspicion for attempted murder and torture of civilians during the temporary occupation of Bucha.
According to Ukrinform, the Main Investigative Department of the National Police stated this on its website.
"It was established that a Russian reconnaissance sniper opened fire on local residents who were trying to bury a man killed by Russians near an apartment building. Police also identified and gathered evidence against the commander of a squad from a Pskov military unit who humiliated and inflicted bodily injuries on a city resident," the statement said.
Law enforcement officers determined that in the first case (in March 2022), while patrolling Yablunska Street, the occupiers unjustifiably opened fire on civilians who were burying a person killed by Russian troops near a residential building.
"One of the men began to run toward the basement to save himself. The Russian soldier, understanding that he was facing a civilian who posed no threat, began deliberately shooting at the victim's head with an assault rifle. The local resident managed to survive and hide in the basement," the statement said.
Investigators of the National Police, using information from the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, established the identity of the suspect. He turned out to be a 35-year-old native of Pskov, a reconnaissance sniper of the reconnaissance platoon of the 1st battalion tactical group of the 234th Air Assault Regiment of the 76th Guards Air Assault Division of the Russian Airborne Forces (military unit 74268), who directly participated in the armed aggression against Ukraine.
Law enforcement officers notified him of suspicion for the completed attempted intentional murder of a civilian (Part 2, Article 15; Part 2, Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). The sanction of the article provides life imprisonment.
According to the National Police, this is already the fifth episode of holding this serviceman accountable for war crimes committed in Bucha.
In addition, police established another case of cruel treatment of civilians in Bucha.
"In particular, war criminals, while in the courtyard of an apartment building on Tsentralna Street, stopped a civilian who was passing by. One of the occupiers forced him to kneel, after which he began beating and humiliating him," the report said.
With the assistance of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, police identified the attacker.
"He turned out to be a 37-year-old native of Russia's Magadan region – a squad commander and combat vehicle commander of the communications unit of the 234th Air Assault Regiment of the 76th Guards Air Assault Division of the Russian Airborne Forces (military unit 74268, Pskov), who directly participated in the armed aggression against Ukraine," the statement said.
Police investigators notified the suspect of suspicion for cruel treatment of civilians (Part 1, Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). The sanction of this article provides up to 12 years in prison.
Law enforcement officers established that in November 2025 this serviceman had already been sentenced by a Ukrainian court to 11 years in prison for similar crimes committed in the Bucha district.
As Ukrinform reported, on December 20, 2025, a Russian serviceman was notified of suspicion for ordering the shooting of civilians in Bucha.