A Russian soldier who committed a war crime in Kyiv, Ukraine last March has been identified through CNN television reports.
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The American network broadcast exclusive footage a few months ago of two Russian soldiers who coldly shot unarmed civilians, shooting them with 12 projectiles in the back. The footage was obtained by CNN using surveillance cameras located near the murders.
One of the victims was a 68-year-old man, Leonid Oleksiyovych Plyats, who worked as a caretaker at the building.
The Bucha prosecutor’s office in the Kyiv region says exclusive CNN reporting helped identify the Russian soldier, Nikolay Sergeevich Sokovikov.
Russia was informed by the latter of the charges of war crime and premeditated murder once morest the soldier. Russia’s Defense Ministry declined CNN’s interview request.
Facial recognition technology may also have played a role in identifying Nikolay Sergeevich Sokovikov, according to the US Network. The preliminary investigation is ongoing.