BREAKING: US charging 4 #Russia |n soldiers with war crimes for acts committed against a US citizens who had been living in #Ukraine w/his Ukrainian wife

Attorney General Merrick Garland says the charges are 'for heinous crimes against an American citizen' in April 2022

Those charged:

-45yo Suren Seiranovich Mkrtchyan
-Dmitry Budnik
-Valerii (last name unknown)
-Nazar (last name unknown)

U.S. Department of Justice 'will work for as long as it takes to pursue accountability and justice for #Russia ’s war of aggression' per Garland

The US indictment identifies Mkrtchyan & Budnik as commanding officers as #Russia |n Armed Forces and/or the so-called #Donetsk People’s Republic

They are charged w/abducting the US citizen from his home in #Mylove in the #Kherson Oblast of #Ukraine for at least 10 days

Per the indictment, the #Russia |n military personnel held the US citizen bound & naked, severely beat him, tortured him & conducted a mock execution, shooting point blank at his head but purposely missing

The charges are the 1st ever filed under the US war crimes statute, per U.S. Department of Justice

But 'our work is far from done' per Atty Gen Garland

U.S. Department of Justice 'We will not forget the atrocities in #Ukraine ' per Atty Gen Garland

'The allegations...detail gruesome events' per Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas

Says agents 1st spoke w/the US citizen in August 2022 after he was evacuated from #Ukraine

'These Russians had stripped him naked, threw him face down to the ground, tied his hands behind his back, pointed a gun at his head & severely beat him, including with the stocks of their guns' per Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas

'There is no higher responsibility of gvt than to safeguard its people' per Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas

'Today’s announcement makes clear, when an American citizen’s human rights are violated their gvt will spare no effort & spare no resources to bring the perpetrators to justice'