The names of Russian soldiers suspected of involvement in the mass shootings of civilians and territorial defense participants in the area of Yablunska Street in the city of Bucha, Kyiv region, have been established. These events occurred on March 4-5, 2022, during the occupation of the city by the armed forces of the Russian Federation.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Names of Suspected Soldiers and Investigation Details
The investigation has identified four Russian servicemen from the 234th Air Assault Regiment of the 76th Air Assault Division of the Russian Airborne Forces from Pskov, who may be involved in the shootings:
- Sergeant Artem Dementyev, reconnaissance sniper of the reconnaissance platoon
- Lieutenant Artem Tareyev, head of the reconnaissance platoon
- Sergeant Vladimir Borzunov, commander of the 5th company
- Captain Evgeny Plyusnin, commander of the 5th company
According to investigators, these soldiers are implicated in the executions of local self-defense members Andriy Matviychuk and Vitaliy Karpenko, as well as the murders of four civilians in Bucha: Volodymyr Rubailo, Dmytro Konovalov, Valeriy Kizilov, and Ihor Horodetsky.
Reconstruction of Events and Evidence of Mass Killings
Journalists conducted a detailed reconstruction of the three days in March 2022 on Yablunska Street, using dozens of hours of video footage from surveillance cameras, photo and video materials from eyewitnesses, as well as obtained documents and secret lists of Russian units involved in the occupation. During the investigation, hundreds of Russian soldiers were identified, and their presence at the crime scenes was traced.
Investigators also received a comment from one of the suspects – Sergeant Vladimir Borzunov, who confirmed the facts of civilian killings by Russian forces.
“Radio Liberty journalists also managed to personally speak with one of the figures in the investigation – Russian army Sergeant Vladimir Borzunov, and received confirmation from him that the Russian army killed civilians in Bucha.”
Other suspected paratroopers – Artem Dementyev, Valentyn Lahoda, Artem Tareyev, and Evgeny Plyusnin – declined to comment.
The released investigative film showcases unique footage from surveillance cameras that captured the shootings, as well as testimonies from relatives of the deceased and eyewitnesses of the tragedy on Yablunska Street.
Scale of Crimes, Russia’s Reaction, and Awards for the Investigation
According to the Bucha City Council, 554 civilians died during the occupation, of which 43 bodies have not yet been identified, and 38 individuals are considered missing. At least 33 men remain in captivity, and one of the captured civilians died in Russian detention.
Russia officially denies its involvement in the mass killings in Bucha, and the Russian authorities label the shootings as “fake” and “provocation.”
The film “Bucha. Yablunska” is the third part of the investigation into the mass killings in Bucha. The previous part, “Bucha. The Killing of Self-Defense Fighter Pobihai,” received a gold award at the New York Festivals 2025 in the “Human Rights” category, while the first part helped bring charges against one of the Russian officers.