DOJ Charges Russian Soldiers with War Crimes Against Americans in Ukraine

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has charged four Russian soldiers, identified as Suren Seiranovich Mkrtchyan, Dmitry Budnik, Valerii, and Nazar, with war crimes related to the invasion of Ukraine. The soldiers are accused of unlawfully detaining and torturing an American citizen, who was kidnapped from his home in southern Ukraine. This marks the first-ever charges under the US war crimes statute against Russia-affiliated military personnel. Attorney General Merrick Garland emphasized the DOJ's commitment to pursuing accountability and justice for Russia's war of aggression. The soldiers are charged with conspiracy to commit war crimes, as well as three specific war crimes.