GRC Mobile Justice Team (MJT) “North” completed an Analytical report for the Sumy Regional Prosecutor’s Office (RPO) regarding killing incidents that may amount to war crimes allegedly committed by the Russian Federation Armed Forces (RFAF) during the occupation of Trostianets (Sumy region) in February-March 2022.
It concerns the killings of civilian men and women in the Okhtyrka district of the Sumy region. At least 10 civilians are confirmed killed and two confirmed missing, while seven other civilians were victims of attempted killings. However, these numbers are not final and do not reflect the full scope of ongoing investigations. In a number of cases, there are grounds to believe that the victims were subjected to torture and other forms of cruel or inhuman treatment prior to their killings. In some cases, the victims were found with their hands and feet bound with duct tape, their eyes and mouths taped shut, and their bodies showing signs of bruises and wounds. The bodies of some killed civilians were found after the region had been liberated. The incidents occurred in various parts of the town, mostly near positions and locations of RF AF personnel and equipment.
Overall, the report contains a detailed description and legal analysis of the incidents. MJT “North” paid special attention to establishing the involvement of military units and commanders of the 1st Tank Army of the RFAF in these crimes.
The analysis conducted by GRC is part of a larger project to map occupation crimes in the Sumy region, implemented to assist the Sumy Regional Prosecutor’s Office in building cases against mid- and high-level RFAF commanders.
GRC MJTs operate as a field component of the Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group for Ukraine (ACA). The ACA is a multilateral initiative established by the United Kingdom, the European Union, and the United States to support and assist Ukrainian law enforcement and prosecutors in investigating and prosecuting international crimes committed during the full-scale war.