Ukrainian Office of the Prosecutor General presses charges against Russia’s Investigative Committee

The Ukrainian Office of the Prosecutor General (GPU) presses charges against officials working for the Russian Investigative Committee, reports the official website of the GPU. According to the statement, charges are being pressed on account of violation of articles 258-3 (support of a terrorist organization), 343 (interference with the work of a law enforcement worker) and 344 (interference with the work of a government official) of the Ukrainian Criminal Code. “As has been established, in May-June 2014, a headquarters for crime investigation involving the usage of prohibited means and methods of war was within the Central Apparatus of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation. The aim of this headquarters, as is noted on the committee’s official website, is to press criminal charges against Ukrainian servicemen for the alleged crimes they commit against civilians,” the message says. The GPU notes that charges were pressed against Ukrainian pilot Nadiya Savchenko in Russia, who allegedly was involved in the murder of the journalists from Rossiya TV channel Igor Kornieliuk and Anton Voloshyn. The Russian Investigative Committee is also investigating the criminal case regarding “unidentified Ukrainian Armed Forces, National Guard servicemen and activists of civil organization Right Sector for the alleged attacks they conducted on the cities of Sloviansk, Kramatorsk, Donetsk, Mariupol and other territories of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, murder of civilians,” the GPU notes. “By organizing ungrounded criminal prosecution, they are illegally interfering with the actions of Ukrainian law enforcement and the Ukrainian Armed Forces. In this light, it can be concluded that the creation of the headquarters for investigating crimes involving prohibited means and methods of war within the Russian IC, as well as the investigation of the aforementioned and other criminal cases by Russia IC officials is aimed to support ‘DNR’ and ‘LNR’ terrorist organizations in their criminal activities, interfering with the duties of representatives of the government and civil activists,” the GPU notes. On Monday, the Russian Investigation Committee reported they opened a criminal case on the “genocide of the Russian-speaking population” of the ‘DNR’ and ‘LNR.’ The committee claimed that the murders happened with the alleged use of ‘Grad’ and ‘Uragan’ systems, as well as unpiloted aviation missiles, tactical Tochka-U missiles and other types of heavy weaponry of ‘non-selective action.’ Ukraine and the West are accusing Russia of sending its regular troops, weapons and mercenaries to Donbas territory. Moscow denies its involvement. Ukraine considers ‘DNR’ and ‘LNR’ terrorist organizations.