Ukrainian law enforcement has initiated criminal proceedings related to over 3,800 military crimes and offenses against the foundations of national security, including treason and violations of territorial integrity. Courts have already issued approximately 200 sentences in this category of criminal cases.
This was stated by the prosecutor of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Igor Ponocharov, during the forum "11 Years of War. Starting Point: Crimea," as reported by a correspondent from ZMINA.
He noted that there are 580 criminal proceedings currently being heard in Ukrainian courts concerning accusations of military crimes and offenses against national security.
“We now have the first conviction in Ukraine under Article 438 of the Criminal Code for violations of the laws and customs of war, which has come into effect after review by the Supreme Court. The conviction pertains to one of the military commissioners in Crimea who forced civilians to serve in the Russian armed forces,” Igor Ponocharov explained.
There are also convictions against officials from the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation and organizations like Yunarmiya and Krympatriotcenter, which are unlawfully engaged in military indoctrination of Ukrainian children on the peninsula.
It is known that the Russian Federation began its military aggression from Sevastopol. On February 20, 2014, during a visit to Crimea by Russian presidential aide Vladislav Surkov, a column of armored personnel carriers (APCs) emerged from the Kazachya Bay in Sevastopol, where the 810th Marine Brigade of the Black Sea Fleet is based.
The next day, Russian authorities explained this by stating that the Black Sea Fleet was transitioning its units to "enhanced security mode due to the complex political situation in Ukraine." It was mentioned that Marine units were to increase security for Russian military facilities not only in Sevastopol but also in other regions of Crimea.
Ukraine annually commemorates the Day of Resistance to the Occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol on February 26. This date is dedicated to the largest rally of resistance held outside the Verkhovna Rada of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.
As explained by the head of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, Refat Chubarov, on February 26, Moscow aimed to create a “glamorous picture, as if the Crimeans were asking to join Russia,” through an extraordinary session of the Crimean parliament.
On that day, Russia failed to implement a peaceful scenario for the annexation of the peninsula through parliamentary voting, and the following morning, it launched a military operation, seizing the building of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea's parliament.