Russian officer accused of war crimes in Ukraine becomes “new Russian elite”

One of the Russian military officers implicated in the murders of Ukrainian civilians in Bucha, Nursultan Mussagaleev, is now called “new Russian elite” by Russian propaganda media.

Participant in the war in Ukraine Nursultan Mussagaleev was appointed acting deputy minister of regional and information policy of the Orenburg region. The head of the region, Denys Pasler, reported this in his Telegram channel.

After returning from the aggressive war in Ukraine, Mussagaleev was selected for the first stream of the “Time of Heroes” program launched by Russian dictator Vladimir Putin to create a “new elite” in Russia. The purpose of this program is to prepare officials and public politicians from those who participated in the invasion of Ukraine. Denys Pasler was a military mentor during the training.

Mussagaleev received the 2023 “Hero of Russia” medal for these “exploits.” Through the Kremlin-initiated campaign “Time of Heroes,” Russian propaganda has been creating an idealized version of this alleged war criminal, portraying him as a member of the “new elite of Russia.”

In 2023, the Security Service of Ukraine opened a criminal case against Mussagaleev under the article on violation of the laws and customs of war (part 1 of article 28 and parts 1 and 2 of article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

According to the special service, in February 2024, the military man arrived in the Bucha district, where he later participated in “clearances” aimed at suppressing the resistance of Ukrainians and intimidating the residents of the region.

Nursultan Mussagaleev grew up in the Russian region of Orenburg. In 2019, he enlisted in the Russian army following military training. As a member of the Pskov Airborne Division, his unit crossed the northern border into Ukraine in February 2022.

Lieutenant Nursultan Mussagaleev, who was responsible for a reconnaissance battalion at the time, is accused by the Ukrainian Security Service of committing crimes against people in the Kyiv area.

He gave his men the instruction to kidnap a Bucha district citizen who was passing an enemy checkpoint while driving during one of the punishing operations.

Before being put to death under Mussagaleev’s orders, the victim was brought to the forest and subjected to severe torture for a considerable amount of time. A captured invader who was a member of his unit attested to this knowledge.