The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has declared Chechnya leader Ramzan Kadyrov and two of his accomplices suspects. All three are charged with war-crime-related articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
Those “two closest accomplices” of Kadyrov are, according to SBU, are:
- Daniil Martynov, deputy head of the directorate of the Federal Service of the National Guard of Russia in the Chechen Republic;
- Huseyn Mezhydov, commander of the tactical group of the 249th separate motorized battalion South of the 46th separate operational brigade of the North Caucasus District of the National Guard of Russia.
SBU says that its investigators documented that in February-March 2022 Kadyrov personally ran the preparation and planning of some of the military operations of these units, gave orders, and received reports from their commanders.
Daniil Martynov is in charge of Kadyrov’s personal security. The SBU investigators established that on 5 March 2022, Martynov “personally commanded the capture of Borodyanka Psychoneurological Hospital with a geriatric unit.”
According to SBU, on his orders:
- almost 500 people (patients, staff, and local residents) were taken hostage, including over 100 bedridden patients;
- approaches to the building were mined, and the hospital was turned into the occupiers’ firing position.
On the order of Kadyrov’s other close ally, Huseyn Mezhydov, almost 200 residents of Hostomel were taken hostage and held in the basements of high-rise buildings from February 25 to March 13.
Daniil Martynov and Huseyn Mezhydov are charged under Article 438.1 of the CCU (violation of laws and customs of war, cruel treatment of POWs or civilian population).
