Two Russian soldiers whose unit was linked to war crimes in the Ukrainian town of Bucha were barred from entering the United States, the State Department said.
The sanctions, announced on November 20, targeted Colonel Azatbek Omurbekov and Russian Guard Corporal Daniil Frolkin.
Their unit, the 64th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade, was honored by President Vladimir Putin in April last year, around the same time that Ukrainian officials linked the brigade to alleged crimes committed in Bucha and the town of Andriyivka.
The State Department imposed the travel ban on Omurbekov, also known as the "Butcher of Bucha," for his involvement in "gross violations of human rights," namely multiple extrajudicial killings of unarmed Ukrainian civilians from Andriyivka, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in the news release.
Frolkin was sanctioned for the extrajudicial killing of a single unarmed Ukrainian in Andriyivka, the department said.
“As a result of today’s action, Omurbekov, Frolkin, and their immediate family members are ineligible for entry into the United States,” Blinken said.
Russian Guard Corporal Daniil Frolkin
Omurbekov was the commanding officer of Russia's 64th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade when Russian forces controlled Andriyivka in Ukraine's southeastern Donetsk region. Omurbekov later led the brigade to Bucha, where the State Department determined that the brigade “killed, beat, dismembered, burned, and conducted mock executions of civilians.”
After accounts of the brigade’s brutality emerged, the Kremlin responded by issuing a statement indicating that Russian President Vladimir Putin had honored the brigade and that the Russian Defense Ministry had promoted Omurbekov and praised his leadership, according to Blinken.
The reports that Omurbekov and Frolkin were involved in gross violations of human rights have been documented by NGOs and independent investigations and are credible, Blinken said.
By barring Omurbekov and Frolkin, the United States “reaffirms its commitment to upholding human rights, acknowledging the injustice experienced by victims and survivors," Blinken said, adding that Washington is committed to promoting accountability for Russia’s abuses and atrocities against Ukrainians.
Omurbekov and Frolkin’s whereabouts are unknown, though both are believed to still be in service.