War Dept Head: 99% of all war crimes being investigated, to be investigated in Ukraine
The role of international partners in the investigation and prosecution of war crimes is auxiliary, Ukraine itself investigates and will bring to justice those responsible for 99% of cases of crimes, said head of the Department for Combating Crimes committed during the armed conflict of the Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) Yuriy Belousov.
"Some 99% of all war crimes are being investigated and will be investigated in Ukraine, and the perpetrators of these crimes will also be punished in Ukraine. Only 1%, or even less, will be helped by our international partners, because their function is auxiliary," he said in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine.
Belousov noted: "At the beginning of the war, there were expectations that someone would intervene, wave a conditional magic wand and immediately all the war criminals from Bucha would end up in The Hague. Unfortunately, this does not happen. All this is a long process, and the volumes are such that no one but us will do it."
According to the head of the Department of War, he is asking international partners for training and technical assistance. "Give us a ‘fishing rod’ – we can do everything ourselves," he added.
As an example, the head of the Department of War cited the use of drones to inspect the scene of events. "It used to look fantastic. And now we have received this equipment and are conducting investigative actions much faster, dozens of times, and much better," he said.