In a groundbreaking move, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has indicted four Russian soldiers for allegedly committing war crimes against a U.S. citizen residing in Ukraine during Russia’s invasion of the country. This is the first time the War Crimes Act of 1996 has been invoked to prosecute war crimes committed during the ongoing conflict.

The four soldiers, Suren Seiranovich Mkrtchyan, Dmitry Budnik, and two unnamed individuals known as Valerii and Nazar, stand accused of abducting, torturing, and abusing the U.S. citizen in April 2022. The victim was reportedly taken from their home in the village of Mylove, Kherson region, and held captive for at least ten days.

According to the DOJ indictment, Mkrtchyan and Budnik, who were allegedly officers in the Russian Armed Forces, directed their subordinates to abduct and mistreat the U.S. citizen. The victim was subjected to a brutal abduction, stripped naked, beaten with gunstocks, and held at gunpoint throughout their captivity.

In addition to the abduction and physical assault, the U.S. citizen was subjected to two torture-filled interrogations, mock executions, and threats of death. These alleged abuses were committed by both the four indicted soldiers and other individuals associated with the Russian military.

The indictment charges the four soldiers with conspiracy to commit war crimes, as well as the following individual war crimes: unlawful confinement, torture, and inhuman treatment. If convicted, all four men face life in prison.

The FBI’s Washington Field Office and Homeland Security Investigations – the investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security – investigated this case in conjunction with the Bureau’s International Human Rights Unit, Victim Services Division and international offices in Kyiv, Warsaw and Moscow. 

“Since the start of their unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, Russia has weaponized human rights abuses to wreak unimaginable tragedy”, FBI Director Christopher  Wray said. “Today’s indictment – the first ever under the U.S. war crimes statute – makes clear that the FBI will work with the full cooperation of international law enforcement to bring justice to the victims of these atrocities. The human toll of the conflict in Ukraine weighs heavily on the hearts of the FBI and, we’re resolved to hold war criminals accountable no matter where they are or how long it takes.”

This landmark prosecution marks the U.S. government’s commitment to holding accountable those who commit war crimes, even during ongoing conflicts. The FBI’s authority to investigate human rights violations, including war crimes, extends back to 1988, and the War Crimes Act of 1996 specifically empowers the DOJ to prosecute these crimes.