Ex-heads of Ukraine's special services Galagan and Bukharev accused in absentia of atrocities in Donbass

The former commander of the special operations forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Hryhoriy Galagan, and the former chairman of the Ukrainian Foreign Intelligence Service, Vladyslav Bukharev, have been charged in absentia with shelling in Donbas. This was reported by the press service of the Russian Investigative Committee on December 6.

The Office said that the head of the IC Alexander Bastrykin held an operational meeting in Mariupol.

"Charges are brought in absentia against Grigory Galagan, who in 2015-2022 held the positions of deputy head of the Center of special operations of the SBU (security service of Ukraine. - Ed.) and then commander of the Special Operations Forces of the AFU, as well as Vladislav Bukharev, who in 2019 held the position of Chairman of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine and then first Deputy Chairman of the SBU," - stated in the message of the agency in Telegram-channel.

The IC specified that they were both among the leadership of Ukrainian formations in the Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics. The shelling by their militants resulted in the death and injury of 190 people, including 12 children. In addition, more than 400 infrastructure facilities were destroyed and damaged. The agency is taking measures to search for the defendants.

The day before, the court sentenced to 10 years in prison an agent of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) with the pseudonym Mangust, who was supposed to transfer weapons and explosives to Belarus to organize terrorist attacks on its territory.

The special operation to protect Donbass, the start of which Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on February 24, 2022, continues. The decision was taken against the background of the aggravated situation in the region.