German Prosecutor General Peter Frank has launched an investigation into alleged war crimes by Russian troops in Ukraine, Der Spiegel reported.

"According to judicial circles, this is a so-called structural procedure. Such a procedure serves to provide extensive evidence and circumstantial evidence in order to be able to later, if necessary, take action against individual criminals," Der Spiegel wrote in an article on Tuesday.

It is indicated that the investigation of the German prosecutor's office will concern reports of cluster bombs, attacks on residential areas and civilian infrastructure, a gas pipeline, a nuclear waste dump and a thermal power plant, as well as reports on the so-called lists of targets of Russian and Chechen units stationed in Ukraine.

The publication notes that, according to available data, these lists contain the names of high-ranking Ukrainian politicians who are planned to be killed. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said last week that he was the "number one target" of these units.

Under the International Criminal Code, a federal prosecutor can prosecute war crimes and crimes against humanity throughout the world.