France sends forensic doctors to Ukraine to probe Russia's 'war crimes'

French police officers and forensic doctors arrived in Ukraine Monday to help investigate alleged Russian war crimes after hundreds of civilian bodies were discovered in towns around Kyiv.

A crane lifts the corpse of a man from a mass grave in Bucha, on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, on 10 April 2022. © AP/Rodrigo Abd

The French interior and justice ministries said they had sent the team to "prevent the impunity of acts constituting war crimes" following the killings that shocked the world.

The ministries said the detectives would "provide concrete support" to Ukrainian and international jurisdictions to probe the killings.

"In agreement with the Ukrainian authorities, it may also contribute to the International Criminal Court investigation."

The experts will help in "identification and collection of evidence," they said.

• France to help ICC with investigations into massacres blamed on Russian forces in Ukraine

France's ambassador to Ukraine posted a photograph on Twitter of the uniformed officers standing by a mobile laboratory van in the western city of Lviv.

"Proud to welcome to Lviv the detachment of technical and scientific gendarmes who came to assist their comrades in investigations of war crimes committed near Kyiv," Etienne de Poncins said.

"France is the first to provide such help. They will start work tomorrow."

Fier d'accueillir à #Lviv le détachement des gendarmes techniques et scientifiques venu assister leurs camarades 🇺🇦 dans les investigations des crimes de guerre commis autour de #Kiev. La 🇫🇷 première à apporter une telle aide. Ils seront à pied d'œuvre dès demain. Solidarité 🇫🇷🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/3pX9LkPzeq

— Etienne de Poncins (@EdePoncins) April 11, 2022

Ukraine says it found 1,222 bodies in areas in the Kyiv region from where the Russian army recently retreated.

It has vowed to find and identify those behind civilian killings and has called for international help in doing so.

Forensic doctors, DNA laboratory

The ministries said the team is made up of "two forensic doctors and about 15 gendarmes from the National Gendarmerie Criminal Research Institute (IRCGN), experts in crime scene and victim identification."

The officers are skilled in "DNA sampling and processing fingerprints" and will "set up a chain of examination and identification of bodies."

They are equipped with a DNA lab that will allow them to do "rapid genetic analysis."

Paris also aims to "coordinate contributions of EU member states and agencies" to investigate possible war crimes in Ukraine, the ministries said.

Ukraine's prosecutor general Iryna Venediktova said Sunday that Kyiv is probing 5,600 alleged war crimes in towns like Bucha and Irpin involving "500 suspects" from Russia's government and military.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he created a special mechanism to investigate Russian "crimes" in Ukraine, which includes "national and international experts."

France's President Emmanuel Macron has said there are "clear indications" of Russian war crimes near Kyiv.

Moscow denies this, with President Vladimir Putin accusing Ukraine of staging the civilian deaths.

(with AFP)