Ukrainian armed groups will be punished, Lavrov states

The Russian Investigative Committee convicted more than 200 members of Ukrainian armed groups, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated on Sunday.

“The same fate awaits all other criminals. Each of them will receive fair retribution,” the foreign minister warned.

The head of Russian diplomacy explained that the Investigative Committee opened about 4,000 criminal cases against some 900 people.

Those charged include not only members of radical nationalist associations, representatives of the Ukrainian security forces and mercenaries, but also the military and political leaders of Ukraine, Lavrov denounced.

He added that Russian law enforcement officers carefully record the atrocities committed by Ukrainian neo-Nazis, not limited only to the time of the special operation.

According to Lavrov, the suffering of the civilian population of Donbass began much earlier, in 2014, “those responsible will also be brought to justice,” he assured.

This week, the Investigative Committee brought terrorism charges in absentia against the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, Kirill Budanov, as well as against Air Force Commander Nikolai Oleschuk, among others.

On Saturday, the Ukrainian forces bombed the downtown of the Russian city of Belgorod, killing 24 civilians and wounding 108, the region’s Governor, Viacheslav Gladkov, stated.

According to the government, 37 buildings with 453 apartments, three private homes and seven social facilities were destroyed, as well as 53 cars.