March 2022, Bucha, Kyiv Region. In these shocking images, Russian paratroopers are seen forcing nine Ukrainian civilians at gunpoint toward their base. Beforehand, the soldiers searched the captives, taking some of their jackets, and forcing them to walk barefoot in the cold. Moments later, the occupiers, without any legal proceedings, coldly executed eight of these unarmed people. Their bodies were left lying in the street for nearly a month.

The Bucha massacre, where Russian forces slaughtered innocent civilians, is an undeniable fact recognized by the international community. Yet, the Russian regime insists on calling the Bucha atrocities staged and fake. Despite these outrageous claims, law enforcement agencies and investigative journalists have provided irrefutable evidence of the Bucha massacre, confirming the horrific crimes committed by Russian troops.

In this latest article from the series «Unpunished atrocities of ruscism», the charity foundation Direct Inclusion reveals details about Chingiz Atantaev, a Russian soldier caught on surveillance cameras during the massacre, and his involvement in the war crimes.

Chingiz Atantaev: The Bucha Civilian Killer

Chingiz Yergeshevich Atantaev was born in Magadan, a remote city in Russia's Far East. Magadan is so isolated that there is no railway connection, and it lies nearly 10,500 kilometers from Kyiv. Despite this distance, Atantaev, who had been living in Pskov since at least 2017, became a part of the Russian military machine that invaded Ukraine.

Pskov is home to Russia's notorious 104th and 234th Air Assault Regiments, which played a central role in the brutal «cleansing» operations in Bucha in February and March of 2022. The New York Times conducted a detailed investigation into the murder of eight Ukrainian civilians who were executed on Yablonska Street. Their report, which included both video footage and photographs from Bucha’s surveillance cameras, captured Russian paratroopers with weapons in hand.

Independent investigations by Bellingcat and «Vazhnyye istorii» confirmed Atantaev’s presence among the Russian forces involved in these war crimes. They successfully identified him using the surveillance footage, solidifying his role in these atrocities.

In 2022, Atantaev was active on Instagram and the Russian social network «VKontakte», where he showed interest in military groups and combat sports. However, his social media accounts have since been deleted, likely in an attempt to erase traces of his involvement in these crimes.

Despite the overwhelming evidence, Russia has shown no intention of holding Atantaev or other war criminals accountable. On the contrary, these atrocities are celebrated by the regime. The commanders of the 104th Air Assault Regiment, which participated in the brutal assault on Bucha, were awarded the title of «Hero of Russia», turning war crimes into badges of honor.

Justice Will Be Served

At Direct Inclusion, we are committed to ensuring that war criminals like Chingiz Atantaev are brought to justice. We will continue to expose the truth, showing the world the real faces of those responsible for the horrific atrocities committed in Ukraine. War crimes have no statute of limitations, and justice will catch up to every perpetrator, no matter how long it takes.

Spread the word about Russia's war crimes using the hashtags #JusticeForUkraine and #Stopruscism, continue to donate, and never lose faith in Ukraine’s victory.

This material was compiled using publicly available internet sources.