The European Union on Monday, March 16, imposed sanctions on nine Russian individuals over their role in atrocities committed during Russia’s occupation of Bucha in 2022.
The EU Council said the individuals were responsible for actions undermining Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity during the early weeks of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Among those sanctioned is Colonel General Aleksandr Chayko, the former commander of Russia’s Eastern Military District and the most senior Russian officer on the ground in Ukraine at the beginning of the invasion, when Russian troops entered Bucha.
According to the EU, the newly sanctioned individuals include senior military officials who commanded Russian forces operating in Bucha and nearby towns including Hostomel, Irpin and Borodyanka.
During the occupation, hundreds of civilians were killed, some in what the EU described as “brutal executions.” Troops under the officials’ command were also involved in looting, torture and forcing civilians to remove the bodies of dead Russian soldiers, according to the statement.
One of the sanctioned individuals was also accused of adopting a child from the Russian-occupied Donetsk region who had been illegally deported to Russia.
Sanctions, travel bans imposed
The nine individuals are now subject to an EU asset freeze, meaning their assets in the bloc are frozen and EU citizens and companies are prohibited from providing them with funds.
They are also subject to travel bans preventing them from entering or transiting through EU member states.
According to the European Commission, around 2,600 individuals and entities are currently sanctioned by the EU in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Russian troops occupied Bucha, a town near Kyiv, and the adjacent towns of Hostomel, Irpin, and the village of Borodyanka during the first weeks of the invasion in early 2022.
After Ukrainian forces retook the area in April 2022, investigators discovered mass graves and hundreds of civilian bodies, prompting international condemnation and accusations of war crimes against Russian forces.
The Kremlin denies responsibility for the killings.