The SSU has notified Kadyrov in absentia of suspicion of war crimes against Ukraine

This was reported by the SSU.

"According to the case materials, during a speech before Russian propagandists, the suspect stated that he had given orders to his ’subordinates’ not to take Ukrainian soldiers as prisoners, but to shoot them on the battlefield.

As the investigation established, Kadyrov’s orders were ’addressed’ to the commanders of Chechen militants fighting in the ranks of Russian occupation groups against Ukraine.

He also ordered that Ukrainian prisoners held in Chechnya be sent to the roofs of military facilities in Grozny.

In this way, Kadyrov proposed using imprisoned combatants as a ’human shield’ against drone attacks by the Defence Forces.

Such statements by the suspect violate the laws and customs of war applicable in armed conflicts under the norms of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

Based on the new evidence, investigators of the Security Service have notified Kadyrov in absentia of suspicion under Part 1 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (war crimes).

It should be recalled that in August 2022, the SSU investigation classified the suspect’s actions as preparation and conduct of aggressive war, its justification, and encroachment on the territorial integrity of Ukraine.

Comprehensive measures are ongoing to hold the suspect accountable for crimes against our state and its citizens.

The investigation was conducted under the procedural guidance of the Office of the Prosecutor General," the SSU statement noted.