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About 70 Ukrainian soldiers, Azov militants to be tried in Donetsk for war crimes

On July 1, the DPR’s Justice Minister, Yuri Sirovatko, told the media that more than 100 Ukrainian prisoners of war had been investigated and moved to a pre-trial detention center on suspicion of committing war crimes

MOSCOW, December 2. /TASS/. Authorities have completed their investigation into cases of war crimes against about 70 servicemen of the Ukrainian army and the Azov detachment (recognized as an extremist organization in Russia). The cases have been handed over to courts in Donetsk, the law enforcement agencies told TASS.

"At the moment, investigations have been completed into about 70 persons who committed war crimes against the civilian population. Among the accused are servicemen of the 36th Marine Brigade and other units of Ukraine’s armed forces, as well as the Azov detachment. They will be tried in Donetsk," a source said.

On July 1, the DPR’s Justice Minister, Yuri Sirovatko, told the media that more than 100 Ukrainian prisoners of war had been investigated and moved to a pre-trial detention center on suspicion of committing war crimes. Sirovatko then did not rule out that after the trial the POWs found guilty might be used for post-war reconstruction of ruined cities.

Earlier, the head of the DPR, Denis Pushilin, said that more than 5,000 Ukrainian prisoners of war, including 2,439 who surrendered at Azovstal, were in the DPR’s custody. He stressed that Ukrainian nationalists should face a tribunal, possibly, an international one.