Ukraine says it is probing 5,600 alleged war crimes by Russians

Ukraine is examining the alleged culpability of 500 Russian leaders for thousands of war crimes, including President Vladimir Putin, a top official says.

Speaking on Britain’s Sky News, Ukrainian prosecutor general Iryna Venediktova says that “what we see on the ground in all the regions of Ukraine, it is war crimes, crimes against humanity.”

Speaking in English, she says there is “full evidence” linking Russian forces to the missile attack on the station at Kramatorsk, in eastern Ukraine, where officials said 52 people were killed.

“That’s why it will be one of the cases in our big profile,” Venediktova says. “You know that now we started 5,600 cases in Ukraine on the above war crimes,” involving “500 suspects” from Russia’s government and military, she adds.

“Vladimir Putin is the main war criminal of 21st century,” the official says, adding that as president, he may enjoy immunity from prosecution under international law but that would not last forever.