Finland to Investigate Likely War Crimes Committed by Previously Detained Russian Neo-Nazi Mercenary in Ukraine

The Finnish General Prosecutor's Office has initiated a preliminary investigation into possible war crimes committed in Ukraine by Yan Petrovsky, former commander of the Russian Rusich neo-Nazi military group and terrorist organisation.

As reported by Yle, Finland's national public broadcasting company, the Finnish prosecutor's office indicated that the crimes of which Petrovsky is suspected took place before the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. These include the mistreatment of wounded and captured Ukrainian soldiers.

The preliminary investigation will take place in Finland, as its court has banned the suspect's extradition to Ukraine. The Finnish authorities can investigate crimes committed in Ukraine under the principle of universal jurisdiction.

The Finnish Central Criminal Police is conducting a preliminary investigation, Yle specifies.

The Finnish media reported on Petrovsky's detention in Finland on 25 August. However, last week, the Finnish Supreme Court ruled that the offender should not be extradited to Ukraine, as he would supposedly face degrading treatment there.

Petrovsky is on the EU and US sanctions list for actions that threaten Ukraine's sovereignty and independence. The US Treasury Department reports that Petrovsky has been the commander of the Rusich group since 2022. Before that, it was led by Alexei Milchakov, a neo-Nazi mercenary also subject to sanctions.

US officials say Petrovsky assumed primary responsibility for the command of the Russian militants after Milchakov was wounded in the 2022 battle for Kharkiv.

The Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office has prepared files for Petrovsky's extradition. The investigation suggests that in 2014, Petrovsky, acting together with "LPR" [Russian-backed "Luhansk People's Republic" – ed.] terrorists, fought against Ukraine as a member of the so-called Sabotage Assault Reconnaissance Group Rusich.