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Authorities in Russia’s Orenburg Region have appointed Nursultan Mussagaleev, a participant in the war in Ukraine who has been accused of committing war crimes in Bucha, as acting deputy minister of regional and information policy. Regional governor Denis Pasler made the announcement via his Telegram channel earlier today. According to the post:
“Nursultan is a native of [the Orenburg Region’s] Novosergiyevsky District, a participant in the ‘special military operation,’ a Hero of Russia, and a recipient of three Orders of Courage as well as the Medal of the Order ‘For Merit to the Fatherland’ (2nd class) with swords. He completed an internship at the ministry as part of the ‘Time of Heroes’ program, established by order of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Nursultan's military experience will also be valuable in his new role, as one of his key responsibilities will be coordinating activities of public organizations supporting special military operation participants, veterans, and their families.”
Kyiv has charged Mussagaleev, who previously commanded a reconnaissance platoon in the 104th Regiment of Russia’s 76th Guards Airborne Assault Division, with violating the laws and customs of war. According to Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU), he took part in Russia’s occupation of the Bucha District in the Kyiv Region during the early weeks of Russia’s full-scale invasion. At that time, Mussagaleev “participated in so-called ‘sweeps’ aimed at suppressing the resistance movement and intimidating the region's residents.”
The SBU claims that Mussagaleev ordered the kidnapping and execution of a 29-year-old local resident suspected of assisting the Ukrainian military. “The invaders accused him of allegedly helping the Ukrainian military build fortifications near Kyiv. The fabricated ‘pretext’ for this was photos of building materials found on his mobile phone,” read the SBU’s press release describing the nature of Mussagaleev's crime. According to the SBU’s findings, the victim was tortured before being shot in a forest near the village of Dmytrivka.
Two of Mussagaleev's subordinates, Senior Sergeant Alexey Kolesnikov and Sergeant Alexander Vyselkov, have also been charged with involvement in the crime.
“Special military operation”
The “special military operation” (SVO) is a euphemism used by the Russian government to refer to its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24, 2022. The term is used in official Russian media, government statements, and pro-Kremlin discourse to justify Moscow's military actions, frame the invasion as a limited operation rather than an all-out war, and suppress dissent.
“Time of Heroes”
The “Time of Heroes” (Время героев) program is a state-backed career initiative in Russia, launched by Vladimir Putin in 2023, to provide greater opportunities for war veterans — particularly those who fought in Ukraine — to enter civilian government and administrative roles.