Russians discuss killing civilians in German intelligence radio intercept

BERLIN – German foreign intelligence claimed to have intercepted radio communications in which Russian soldiers were discussing indiscriminate killings in Ukraine.

In two separate messages, Russian soldiers described how they interrogated soldiers and civilians and then shot them, according to an intelligence official familiar with the findings, who spoke like others on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.

results first mentioned By the German magazine Der Spiegel and confirmed by three people who saw the information, it further undermines Russia’s denial of its involvement in the massacre. Russia has variously claimed that atrocities are committed only after its soldiers have left occupied areas or after “scenes of massacres” of civilians have been “arranged”.

Photos from Buchaa suburb near the Ukrainian capital, has become symbols of the atrocities of war and the fervent calls for it sensors into possible war crimes. One person said the radio messages are likely to provide a deeper insight into suspected atrocities in other towns north of Kyiv that have been held by Russian soldiers.

In Bucha, the scope of Russian barbarism began to focus

The intelligence official said that Germany had satellite imagery indicating Russia’s involvement in the killing of civilians in Bucha, but that the radio broadcast had not been linked to that location. Two people said the foreign intelligence agency, known as the BND, might be able to match signal information with video clips and satellite imagery to make connections to specific killings.

These people also said wireless traffic indicates that members Wagner Groupa special military unit that has close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin and his allies, played a role in the attacks on civilians. Another person familiar with the intelligence said the involvement could be from the Wagner Group or another private contractor.

The International Criminal Court said on February 28 it was investigating possible war crimes in Ukraine. Experts tell The Post how the legal process works. (Video: Alexa Juliana Ard/The Washington Post; Photo: The Washington Post)

German intelligence officials on Wednesday briefed members of at least two parliamentary committees on the findings, according to people familiar with the operation.

“The reported atrocities have affected the members of the relevant committees as they have been reported very strongly,” said one person familiar with the intelligence.

Another person said the agency had great confidence in the results, although it wasn’t specific about how it obtained the radio communications. The third person said the information contributes to an understanding of situations within the Russian military but does not represent “definitive evidence of who fired at whom and at what time.” This person said that the examples discussed by Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service indicated an atmosphere of panic that caused soldiers to “cut corners”.

Russian forces’ reliance on unsecured communication devices, including smartphones and push-to-talk radios, has left their units vulnerable to targeting, and Western defense and intelligence officials. Say.

A spokesman for Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service declined to comment. On Wednesday, government spokesman Stephen Hebestreet cited “credible indications” that Russian forces in Bucha were interrogating prisoners “who were later executed”. He only cites “the visions we have”.

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