The next is a transcript of an interview with Andriy Kostin, the prosecutor basic of Ukraine, that aired Sunday, Sept. 18, 2022, on "Face the Nation."
MARGARET BRENNAN: Welcome again to Face The Nation. We're joined now by Andriy Kostin, the Prosecutor Basic of Ukraine. Good morning, and thanks for being right here.
PROSECUTOR GENERAL OF UKRAINE ANDRIY KOSTIN: Good morning.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We simply noticed our correspondent present some fairly horrific photos of what's occurring in your nation, you retain a database of potential battle crimes, you've greater than 30,000 documented, how do you start to type by way of them and prioritize?
KOSTIN: To begin with, for the time being, we have now mounted 34,000 battle crimes in Ukraine. After we are speaking about prioritization, in fact, the instances, like we see at the moment, and yesterday and days earlier than, of battle crimes dedicated in Kharkiv area, together with the Izium, in fact, such instances are our precedence. Nonetheless, we have now numerous instances, that are nonetheless ongoing, which began in locations like Bucha, and Irpin. And all of them shelling and destroying of all of civil objects in Ukraine are additionally mounted, after which are additionally investigated. So what we see now's, in fact, the horrible quantity of potential battle crimes dedicated by Russian aggressor. I want to say even that, what we see now's a system of Russian aggressor, what they do on the occupied territory. And plainly for me that each time Russian military comes, they flip this place into new Bucha, as we see in Izium.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Your president was on this program within the spring, within the wake of Bucha, the place it was horrific, the photographs. He referred to as that genocide? Are you seeing proof of genocide? Are you able to carry that case to a court docket?
KOSTIN: Now we have a case on genocide within the Workplace of the Prosecutor Basic. And we're in on a regular basis in communication with worldwide felony court docket and Prosecutor Khan, as a result of the Worldwide Prison Courtroom has additionally the authority to to have a look at the genocide case. So we perceive that every one of those information put collectively will lead us to potential a conviction in Crime of Genocide.
MARGARET BRENNAN: No sitting chief has ever been prosecuted for genocide. Are you able to really show that Vladimir Putin approved or knew all of what was occurring beneath the command of his navy?
KOSTIN: In fact, it isn't a simple method to show the- this method of command to duty from the very best stage, what we perceive for the time being, that the crime of aggression is certainly we all know who's chargeable for it, as a result of the crime of aggression is the mom of all of those crimes, of battle crimes genocide, as a result of with out aggression, there will probably be no different battle crimes. And for that cause for the crime of aggression, the very best politically and navy management ought to be prosecuted and ought to be punished.
MARGARET BRENNAN: This previous week, america sanctioned the Presidential Commissioner for youngsters's rights. That is an odd title, given what she's accused of, who has overseen the taking of kids and forcing them into Russia. Your ambassador has put that quantity at 91,000. There are studies that Secretary Blinken has cited that places that quantity at 260,000 youngsters taken from their households, what number of of those children will be returned? And may you show that that is a part of this sample you are speaking about of genocide and intent to destroy?
KOSTIN: We positively perceive that the kidnapping and forcibly shifting of our youngsters of the way forward for Ukrainian nation forcibly- forcibly despatched to Russia is, in fact, from my perspective, is a component of potential genocide. I'll let you know that for the time being, we have now greater than 50 youngsters, solely 50, 53, 55 youngsters returned to Ukraine. A few of them now are in a protected place in Europe. However the quantity which we, within the workplace of Prosecutor Basic, have is 1000's and 1000's of kids. For which we have now actual proof that they had been kidnapped and forcibly despatched to Russia. We- we recognized now greater than 5,500 youngsters had been kidnapped and despatched to Russia as a result of we in our workplace, we have to determine positively.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay. An- and america has now pointed that figure- finger, excuse me, proper on the Kremlin, I need to ask you about intercourse crimes and sexual assault and rape. There have been some horrific accounts, ladies chained in basements, youngsters who had been attacked, I do not even need to recite half of what I learn yesterday. Is rape, a deliberate act of subjugation being utilized by Russia?
KOSTIN: We noticed it in Bucha. We all know that these instances had been in Kharkiv area, which is now deliberated. Now we have evidences of, of those instances, crucial is to seek out out correct evidences and to repair them correctly. What- what I did- what I did for the time being now, I created a particular unit within the prosecutor workplace Basic for the sexual violence crimes. And we have now a particular staff of prosecutors who're properly skilled for this class of crimes. The- it is necessary for us to speak with individuals and to seek out out these instances to ensure that the victims of those instances to report about them. And because of this, we are also in shut contact with our colleagues in European international locations the place lots of people who- Ukrainians who fled to Europe, a few of them might be victims, or witnesses of sexual violence crimes. And we at the moment are speaking looking for additionally these instances, no- within the workplace of Prosecutor Basic, we have now now greater than 40 ongoing investigations on instances the place we positively know that the crime of sexual violence was dedicated by Russian aggressors.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Sir, thanks in your time at the moment, Mr. Prosecutor Basic–
KOSTIN: Thanks.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Good luck to you. We'll be proper again.