Polish Investigators Documented Russian Military Crimes Using 3D Scanners

Polish investigators and law enforcement officers, as part of an international team, have once again visited Ukraine to aid in collecting and recording evidence of crimes committed by Russia in the Sumy and Chernihiv regions. This trip marked the team's second visit, as reported by Telewizja Polska.

During this visit, representatives from the Polish investigative bodies and police documented Russian military crimes on Ukrainian soil, utilizing 3D scanners for this purpose. The operations were conducted in the Sumy and Chernihiv regions, where experts surveyed destroyed structures, including hospitals, schools, kindergartens, police departments, and residential buildings.

"In the Sumy and Chernihiv regions, official procedures were carried out during which damaged public places were examined. The inspected buildings were destroyed by bombing, artillery, and missile attacks, as well as drone kamikaze attacks. Civilians, including children, lost their lives in these areas," said Prosecutor Karol Borchólski from the press group of the National Prosecutor's Office.

Throughout their work, prosecutors and police officers also operated in close proximity to the front line. They often had to halt their activities due to warnings of aerial raids and the necessity to seek shelter in defensive structures.

Following Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukrainian territory, a joint investigative group was formed involving Ukraine, Poland, and Lithuania. In the subsequent months, the International Criminal Court in The Hague, along with Latvia, Estonia, Slovakia, and Romania, joined the group. In March 2023, all parties signed an agreement for cooperation and coordination with the U.S. Department of Justice.

The establishment of the joint investigative group among Ukraine, Poland, and Lithuania regarding Russia's attack on Ukraine took place on March 25, 2022, at the border crossing in Korcheva. The initial steps toward creating the investigative group for the case of an aggressive war and crimes committed by the armed forces of the Russian Federation on Ukrainian territory were taken on March 2, 2022, during an extraordinary meeting of representatives from all Eurojust member states.

During this meeting, initiated by Ukraine, Poland, and Lithuania, a decision was made to establish an international joint investigative group within the framework of investigations initiated in these three countries. In the following months, the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Latvia, Estonia, Slovakia, and Romania joined the team. Additionally, in March 2023, the parties of the investigative group signed an agreement for cooperation and coordination with the U.S. Department of Justice.