Three Russians are charged with the murder of a civilian in Hostomel

Charges against Russian troops for war crimes

According to Главком: Three Russian servicemen have been charged with the murder of a civilian in Hostomel in March 2022, when the settlement was occupied. According to the Kyiv regional prosecutor's office, the commander of the assault company ordered the shooting of an unarmed man in civilian clothes. The victim died on the spot from a gunshot wound to the head. The investigation confirmed that the military was aware that they were facing a civilian. The commander is accused of violating the laws and customs of war, combined with intentional murder, while his subordinates are charged with committing a war crime as part of a group.

As part of the investigation, the following were conducted:

• scene inspection,
• forensic and genetic examinations,
• exhumation,
• analysis of mobile data,
• witness interrogations and identifications.

Intentional killing of a civilian during an international armed conflict is a gross violation of the Geneva Conventions. Such charges have become part of the systemic work of the Ukrainian side in documenting crimes.

The Russian Colonel is charged with the use of chemical weapons

Cyber specialists, counterintelligence, and investigators from the SBU have also collected evidence of war crimes by Russian Colonel Ruslan Nazarenko, commander of the 136th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the Southern Military District of the Russian Federation. According to the case materials, from September 2024 to June 2025, Nazarenko ordered the use of banned chemical substances during the assault on Volchansk and two neighboring settlements in the Kharkiv region. Russian aerosol grenades K-51 and RG-Vo were used, loaded with irritant chemical agents: CS (chlorobenzylidene malononitrile) and CN (chloroacetophenone).

'The commander is accused of violating the laws and customs of war, combined with intentional murder. His subordinates are responsible for committing a war crime as part of a group.' Kyiv Regional Prosecutor's Office

It is also important to highlight the appeal from a group of Russian prisoners of war, who have been held in Ukrainian captivity for almost four years, to the Kremlin and Vladimir Putin. They assert that Moscow refuses to return sick, wounded, and elderly soldiers in exchange, prioritizing those who have spent the least time in captivity.

These events highlight the ongoing work to investigate war crimes in Ukraine and the importance of holding the perpetrators accountable. The situation with prisoners of war exposes the complex humanitarian aspects of the conflict, which remain extremely acute. The appeal of the captives indicates internal problems within the Russian army and the challenges both sides face regarding exchanges.