SSU investigates over 80% of all crimes committed by Russians in Ukraine – Khmara
The Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) is investigating more than 130,000 criminal proceedings related to Russia’s armed aggression. These cases cover 80% of all crimes committed by Russians on Ukrainian territory during the invasion, including attacks on energy infrastructure. Since the start of the full-scale invasion, the enemy has carried out 596 such strikes on oil and gas infrastructure alone.
Censor.NET reports this, citing Acting Head of the SSU, Major General Yevhenii Khmara, during his speech at the international conference "United for Justice. Accountability for Crimes Against Civilians".
"SSU investigators are working systematically to identify those responsible. Behind every strike are specific names and surnames. Therefore, our task is not only to record the consequences of attacks on critical infrastructure and prove their systematic nature, but also to identify the perpetrators, commanders, and organizers. And then, to bring them to justice. The SSU is doing and will continue to do everything possible to find and punish those responsible," the head of the Service stressed.
How the investigation is being conducted
To this end, the SSU continuously collects, verifies, and systematizes evidence. These materials are later sent to court. They are also integrated into international mechanisms, including proceedings of the International Criminal Court. The materials subsequently become the basis for decisions on sanctions against individuals and entities involved in aggression against Ukraine. As of now, more than 1,000 Russians have been served with notices of suspicion over war crimes.
Russian strikes on critical infrastructure
Yevhenii Khmara also stressed that the enemy has systematically struck facilities on which the functioning of civilian life primarily depends. In particular, Russian attacks have targeted enterprises that provide citizens with heating, gas and water supply.
"Damage to one such infrastructure node can disrupt the operation of all systems connected to it. This is exactly the enemy’s logic: critical infrastructure is used as a point of pressure on society’s resilience, basic living conditions, the sense of security and civilians’ ability to withstand a long war," Yevhenii Khmara said.
According to the acting head of the Service, Russian strikes on Ukraine’s critical infrastructure should be assessed as a systematic policy of terror against the Ukrainian people.
"These strikes did not paralyze the Ukrainian army or stop front-line logistics. Their obvious consequence is different: creating humanitarian pressure on civilians, primarily during the winter period," Khmara said at the end of his speech.
