The US will support authorities in Ukraine in their investigation of possible war crimes committed by Russian troops, US ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink said during a visit to Borodianka on Saturday.

Since the start of what Putin calls special operation to demilitarise Ukraine on February 24, Russia has bombed cities to rubble and hundreds of civilian bodies have been found in several towns where Russian forces withdrew.

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“I think the efforts of the prosecutor general are really important. And I do not think they should stop or be paused just because the war continues. I think people deserve justice and they deserve justice now,” Bridget Brink said.

“We are also using many other mechanisms in order to support this process. And I can tell you I personally will make sure that we, here on the ground, do everything to support it through various US government mechanisms,” she added.

Ongoing investigations

Ukrainian services have opened several criminal investigations into allegations of sexual violence committed by Russian soldiers against civilians, Ukraine’s deputy interior minister said on Friday. Ukraine also says it has identified more than 10,000 possible war crimes in total.

Ukraine, its international allies and the United Nations Human Rights Council have been investigating potential war crimes, including sexual violence.

Moscow denies committing war crimes or targeting civilians during a war that has killed thousands and forced millions of people, mostly women and children, to flee abroad.