Canada sanctions Russian military officers over atrocities in Bucha

OTTAWA – The Canadian government is imposing sanctions on dozens of Russian military officers whose troops are accused of committing atrocities against Ukrainian civilians.

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly announced the new sanctions against 43 Russians this morning, as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues nearly six months after it began.

Canada is also adding 17 Russian companies and entities to its sanctions list for supporting the invasion of Ukraine.

Most of the individuals added to the list are Russian military officers sanctioned by the European Union in June for their troops’ actions in Bucha.

Russian troops are accused of having raped, tortured and killed hundreds of Ukrainian civilians in the city on the outskirts of Kyiv during the first months of their invasion.

The International Criminal Court is investigating alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity by Russian troops, who withdrew from the area in March.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 2, 2022.

Note to readers: This is a corrected story. An earlier version erroneously reported that Canada imposed new sanctions on 47 Russians.