President Vladimir Putin honored a Russian army unit accused by Ukraine of committing war crimes in Butcha.
On Monday, Putin signed a decree praising the brigade for “mass heroism and valor, tenacity and courage,” without mentioning the war in Ukraine. The president awarded the 64th Mechanized Infantry Brigade the title of "Honorary Guard".
Earlier this month, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry accused the Russian brigade of involvement in war crimes during the occupation of Butcha, which drew global attention with reports of Russian atrocities committed during the war.
More than 350 bodies have so far been recovered from the town near Kyiv. Nearly all the victims have been shot, according to the region's police chief, and global calls have been launched for an international investigation into these crimes.
On its part, Russia denied committing war crimes, as it called it a "special military operation".
Contributed by Israa Farhan
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