Latest news with #Bucha
Arab News
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Ukraine appoints new prosecutor general
KYIV: Ukraine's parliament on Tuesday appointed Ruslan Kravchenko, one of the key investigators of alleged Russian war crimes during the occupation of the Kyiv region in 2022, as prosecutor general. Kravchenko, 35, is now head of the state tax administration, and before that chaired the Kyiv region military administration. He was involved in the recording and prosecuting of alleged Russian atrocities in the town of Bucha, which was occupied for 33 days in the early stages of Moscow's full-scale invasion. Russia denies accusations of numerous executions, rapes and torture during the occupation. Kravсhenko was also a prosecutor in Ukraine's ousted President Viktor Yanukovych's treason case. The prosecutor general's post has remained vacant since October, after Andriy Kostin resigned following a scandal around officials receiving fake disability status and avoiding military service.
Reuters
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Ukraine appoints new prosecutor general
June 17 (Reuters) - Ukraine's parliament on Tuesday appointed Ruslan Kravchenko, one of the key investigators of alleged Russian war crimes during the occupation of the Kyiv region in 2022, as prosecutor general. Kravchenko, 35, is now head of the state tax administration, and before that chaired the Kyiv region military administration. He was involved in the recording and prosecuting of alleged Russian atrocities in the town of Bucha, which was occupied for 33 days in the early stages of Moscow's full-scale invasion. Russia denies accusations of numerous executions, rapes and torture during the occupation. Kravсhenko was also a prosecutor in Ukraine's ousted President Viktor Yanukovych's treason case. The prosecutor general's post has remained vacant since October, after Andriy Kostin resigned following a scandal around officials receiving fake disability status and avoiding military service.
Forbes
15-06-2025
- Politics
- Forbes
187,000 Ukrainians Get A Reprieve From U.S. Deportation as War Rages
A major court decision has brought long-awaited relief to tens of thousands of Ukrainian U.S. immigrants who got relief to live in the U.S. under temporary protection. Many had been stuck for months without the ability to work or apply for legal status because of a government-imposed freeze on immigration processing. Now, after a federal judge ruled that pause unlawful, the U.S. government is restarting the process — allowing parolees to once again seek work permits, asylum, and more permanent immigration solutions. But while this news is welcome, it comes against a darker backdrop: the United States, despite having promised to protect Ukraine's independence decades ago, has in recent months attempted to deport some Ukrainians back to a country still under active assault by Russia. And instead of supporting Ukraine as the victim of Russia's invasion of its sovereignty, the administration is outright supporting Russia as the aggressor. The situation in Ukraine remains dire. Reports of war crimes, rapes, torture, and mass graves in places like Bucha, Irpyn, and other towns have shocked the world. Russian forces continue to occupy parts of Ukrainian territory, and the toll on civilians—especially women and children—grows daily. Yet, while the war grinds on, the U.S. government has attempted to strip protections from Ukrainians in the U.S. under temporary humanitarian programs, exposing them to the risk of deportation. This includes those who arrived through the Uniting for Ukraine (U4U) program, launched in 2022 to offer temporary safety. This effort has left many advocates and immigrants feeling betrayed, especially given America's 1994 commitment under the Budapest Memorandum, where the U.S., U.K., and Russia pledged to respect Ukraine's independence and territorial integrity. Ukraine gave up its nuclear arsenal—the third largest in the world—in exchange for that promise. Russia, which received the surrendered weapons, has flagrantly violated the deal. But critics say the U.S. is also falling short, not through bombs or invasion, but through immigration policy that undermines the very people fleeing that war. In February 2025, the U.S. paused processing of immigration applications for people here on humanitarian parole, including U4U participants. That meant: This left over 187,000 Ukrainian parolees in a dangerous legal limbo. Many were unable to renew documents or continue working — some were even placed into deportation proceedings. On May 28, a federal court ruled this freeze unlawful, siding with plaintiffs in a case called Svitlana Doe v. Noem. The judge ordered the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to restart application processing. On June 9, USCIS issued internal guidance telling officers to resume working on backlogged cases. While new U4U sponsorships are still paused, existing parolees can now move forward again. These numbers represent real people: children in school, parents holding jobs, soldiers' families who fled Russian bombs. Many are now hoping to finally get decisions on their cases — decisions that could mean safety, stability, and legal status. With the court's ruling in place, parolees in the U.S. can once again apply for: Applications will be reviewed after additional security vetting. Interviews that were previously canceled may now be rescheduled. While the court decision is good news, there are still big challenges: In fact, just days after the court's May 28 ruling, the Trump administration (in its ongoing legal battle) asked the court to throw out the decision—arguing that Ukrainian sponsors had no right to sue, and that deportation wasn't a real threat. That argument rings hollow to many Ukrainians and Americans alike. It ignores the reality that returning someone to a war zone where civilian apartment blocks are being shelled is not a policy—it's a moral failure. This matter is part of the overall discontent that was displayed as hundreds of thousands of people in America demonstrated Saturday against Trump immigration policies in cities across the country while in Washington the American Army marched in a parade to mark their 250th birthday and President Trump marked his 78th birthday. In the days ahead the debate over what is the proper immigration policy for American to follow in general, not just for Ukrainians, will be at the forefront of considerations in Congress. Meanwhile President Trump has travelled to Canada to attend the G-7 meeting and deal with security issues such as the Middle East and Ukraine while keeping an eye on immigration issues back home. This moment is a test of America's moral compass. The U.S. once asked Ukraine to trade its nukes for a promise of peace. Now, Ukrainians are asking America to keep that promise—not with weapons, but with compassion and lawful protection. For over 187,000 Ukrainians here, this ruling which gave Ukrainian U.S. immigrations relief from deportation a ray of hope. But it's also a reminder that immigration is not just policy — it's people. And behind every application is a family fleeing a war the world promised to help them survive. Now is the time to act — apply, renew, and speak up. Because history will remember not only what Russia did to Ukraine, but what the world did—or didn't do—in response.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ukrainians face painful wait to learn if loved ones are among returned bodies
By Margaryta Chornokondratenko and Aleksandar Vasovic BUCHA, Ukraine (Reuters) -Volodymyr Umanets, a 69-year-old security guard, hopes his son will be among the Ukrainian prisoners of war now being handed over by Russia, but he knows he could be part of a more sombre homecoming: the repatriated remains of dead soldiers. Not knowing which group his son, Sergiy, will be in is a torment. 'I am told to wait. What else is left for me to do?' said Umanets, as tears welled up in his eyes. This week Russia and Ukraine began implementing a deal reached at June 2 peace talks in Istanbul to hand over 1,000 prisoners of war each, and also a huge number of human remains. Alongside the joyful scenes of soldiers returning home and hugging loved ones, there have been macabre images of men dressed in hazmat suits transferring body bags from refrigerated trucks. Russia said it plans to hand over the remains of around 6,000 Ukrainian soldiers in this phase of the exchange. So far this week, it said it transferred 1,212 sets of remains, while Ukraine said it handed over the bodies of 27 Russian soldiers. Volodymyr Umanets's son Sergiy, 49, served in the army as a younger man and volunteered to rejoin shortly after the February 2022 full-scale invasion. He was serving in the Ukrainian military in south-eastern Ukraine when he went missing in combat in December 2023. His father, who works as a security guard in the town hall in Bucha, outside Kyiv, said he still hopes Sergiy is alive, and that he was captured by the Russian side. But he acknowledged the possibility that his son may have been killed. He gave authorities a sample of his DNA so that if Sergiy's remains are recovered, he can be identified. 'You know, I want to know at least something, to get at least some information,' he said. 'I read recently in the newspaper that a young man was declared missing. And during the exchange of bodies, his DNA was identified. He was buried today. I wish I knew at least this.' Each side has been handing over soldiers' remains periodically throughout the conflict, but the swap now underway is of an unprecedented scale. PAINSTAKING PROCESS For Ukraine, the repatriation of the remains marks the start of a long and painstaking process to identify who they are, how they died, and to notify their families. The task is made more complicated because sometimes the returned soldiers were killed in explosions so their bodies are in fragments, according to Djordje Alempijevic, a professor of forensic science at Belgrade University who helped examine the remains of people killed in conflicts in the Western Balkans in the 1990s. An added complication, he said, is that some of the remains have been stored for a long time, and they degrade, even if kept in refrigeration. In the best case scenario, the bodies are returned with some documents to help identification, said Dmytro Hapchenko, a local council official in Bucha who has worked on remains of people killed in the war. But he said that does not always happen. In fact, Ukraine has alleged that Russia's approach to processing the remains of Ukrainian soldiers has been haphazard. On June 2, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told reporters that in previous repatriations of remains, Russia handed over bodies to Ukraine that were actually dead Russian soldiers. Russia, in response, has accused Ukraine of deliberately delaying the exchange of the remains, stranding trucks with human bodies on the Russian side of the border, a claim denied by Ukraine. Absent any identifying documents for the returned remains, forensic pathologists will try to conduct an autopsy, said Alempijevic. He said they look for features like old bone fractures, dental characteristics, and metal plates or screws from old surgeries. Alempijevic, member of the UN Subcommittee for the Prevention of Torture, said autopsies also allowed pathologists to look for evidence of a war crime. Ukrainian prosecutors have alleged some Ukrainian soldiers were tortured in captivity, or summarily executed, and they are preparing criminal prosecutions. Russia has denied those allegations. Hapchenko, the Bucha city official, said he was supporting families from his area whose loved ones went missing in the fighting. 'Unfortunately, there are quite a few of them,' he said. Referring to the repatriation of fallen soldiers now underway, he said: 'Maybe now they'll be able to bury them.' (Additional reporting by Sergiy Karazy; Editing by Sharon Singleton)
Reuters
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Ukrainians face painful wait to learn if loved ones are among returned bodies
BUCHA, Ukraine, June 13 (Reuters) - Volodymyr Umanets, a 69-year-old security guard, hopes his son will be among the Ukrainian prisoners of war now being handed over by Russia, but he knows he could be part of a more sombre homecoming: the repatriated remains of dead soldiers. Not knowing which group his son, Sergiy, will be in is a torment. 'I am told to wait. What else is left for me to do?' said Umanets, as tears welled up in his eyes. This week Russia and Ukraine began implementing a deal reached at June 2 peace talks in Istanbul to hand over 1,000 prisoners of war each, and also a huge number of human remains. Alongside the joyful scenes of soldiers returning home and hugging loved ones, there have been macabre images of men dressed in hazmat suits transferring body bags from refrigerated trucks. Russia said it plans to hand over the remains of around 6,000 Ukrainian soldiers in this phase of the exchange. So far this week, it said it transferred 1,212 sets of remains, while Ukraine said it handed over the bodies of 27 Russian soldiers. Volodymyr Umanets's son Sergiy, 49, served in the army as a younger man and volunteered to rejoin shortly after the February 2022 full-scale invasion. He was serving in the Ukrainian military in south-eastern Ukraine when he went missing in combat in December 2023. His father, who works as a security guard in the town hall in Bucha, outside Kyiv, said he still hopes Sergiy is alive, and that he was captured by the Russian side. But he acknowledged the possibility that his son may have been killed. He gave authorities a sample of his DNA so that if Sergiy's remains are recovered, he can be identified. 'You know, I want to know at least something, to get at least some information,' he said. 'I read recently in the newspaper that a young man was declared missing. And during the exchange of bodies, his DNA was identified. He was buried today. I wish I knew at least this.' Each side has been handing over soldiers' remains periodically throughout the conflict, but the swap now underway is of an unprecedented scale. For Ukraine, the repatriation of the remains marks the start of a long and painstaking process to identify who they are, how they died, and to notify their families. The task is made more complicated because sometimes the returned soldiers were killed in explosions so their bodies are in fragments, according to Djordje Alempijevic, a professor of forensic science at Belgrade University who helped examine the remains of people killed in conflicts in the Western Balkans in the 1990s. An added complication, he said, is that some of the remains have been stored for a long time, and they degrade, even if kept in refrigeration. In the best case scenario, the bodies are returned with some documents to help identification, said Dmytro Hapchenko, a local council official in Bucha who has worked on remains of people killed in the war. But he said that does not always happen. In fact, Ukraine has alleged that Russia's approach to processing the remains of Ukrainian soldiers has been haphazard. On June 2, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told reporters that in previous repatriations of remains, Russia handed over bodies to Ukraine that were actually dead Russian soldiers. Russia, in response, has accused Ukraine of deliberately delaying the exchange of the remains, stranding trucks with human bodies on the Russian side of the border, a claim denied by Ukraine. Absent any identifying documents for the returned remains, forensic pathologists will try to conduct an autopsy, said Alempijevic. He said they look for features like old bone fractures, dental characteristics, and metal plates or screws from old surgeries. Alempijevic, member of the UN Subcommittee for the Prevention of Torture, said autopsies also allowed pathologists to look for evidence of a war crime. Ukrainian prosecutors have alleged some Ukrainian soldiers were tortured in captivity, or summarily executed, and they are preparing criminal prosecutions. Russia has denied those allegations. Hapchenko, the Bucha city official, said he was supporting families from his area whose loved ones went missing in the fighting. 'Unfortunately, there are quite a few of them,' he said. Referring to the repatriation of fallen soldiers now underway, he said: 'Maybe now they'll be able to bury them.'
