Ukraine’s chief prosecutor names first suspect in murders of civilians in Bucha. He denies his involvement

Ukrainian Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova has identified the first suspect in the killings of civilians in the Ukrainian town of Bucha: a commander of the Russian National Guard Sergei Kolotsei.

“Bucha prosecutors and police officers established that this military officer had killed four unarmed men in Bucha on March 18. On March 29, he tortured another civilian to make him confess to subversive activity against the Russian army. He took another pro-Ukrainian local resident to the basement, where he beat him with his hands, with a machine gun and with a knife guard. The man was taken to an execution site, where they shot a gun near his ear, imitating execution. A separate perverted form of bullying and intimidation of the victim was forcing him to sniff a dead person,” Venedictova stated.

She also published photographs that allegedly show Kolotsei sending a car boot from a Belarusian post office.

According to reporters of Slidstvo.Info, the military officer is 35 years old, he was born and raised in Mazyr, Belarus, and later moved to Moscow.

Mozhem Obyasnit Telegram channel contacted the man on his VK page, where he is registered under the surname Kalotsky, however, he admits that his real surname is Kolotsei. He categorically denied his involvement in the murders and said that he does not serve in the Russian National Guard.

“Judging by this logic, the Ukrainian prosecution should accuse everyone who sends packages to Russia. I’d like to remind you that this is a post office where anyone can send a package to anyone anywhere. Before accusing someone of something, find out all the details, or you’ll be accused of libel or of threatening peaceful citizens of other states,” Kolotsei said.

Readers of Belarusian news outlet Zerkalo claim that Kolotsei did not participate in the invasion of Ukraine. The news outlet is currently verifying this information.

Russian troops pulled out of the Kyiv Region in early April. Shortly after that, mass civilian deaths were reported in numerous cities and villages in the region, including Bucha, which was occupied by Russia since the start of the invasion on February 24.

The Russian Defence Ministry claimed that the Russian army had left the city on March 30, dismissing the reports of civilian deaths in Bucha as “another provocation.”

Mayor of Bucha Anatoliy Fedoruk said in late April that exhumation and identification of bodies in Bucha is nearly complete. According to the mayor, 412 dead bodies were found as of April 23, however, this number may change.