Nursultan Mussagaleyev, a former Russian army commander suspected of involvement in war crimes, has been appointed as an acting deputy minister for regional and information policy in Russia's Orenburg Oblast, Denis Pasler, the region's governor, said on Telegram on Feb. 6.
As a platoon commander at the 76th Airborne Assault Division, Mussagaleyev allegedly participated in Russia's brutal occupation of Bucha, a suburb of Kyiv, in February and March 2022, according to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU). Hundreds of civilians were massacred by Russian troops in Bucha at the time.
The SBU has identified him as having taken part in so-called "purge operations," which aimed to suppress resistance and intimidate civilians.
Bucha, a suburb northwest of Kyiv, became a symbol of Russian war crimes after mass graves were uncovered in April 2022 following its liberation by Ukrainian troops.
The Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office has documented over 1,400 civilian killings in the Bucha District, including 637 in Bucha itself. Among the victims were 37 children. Many were executed, their bodies left on the streets or buried in mass graves.
Mussagaleyev was later honored by Russia's military and political leadership. He was awarded the "Hero of Russia" star and the "Military Distinction" medal.
Russian state television glorified his role in the invasion, broadcasting a feature about him on the state-run Russia 1 channel.
His appointment to a government position in Orenburg Oblast follows a broader trend in Russia of rewarding military personnel linked to war crimes with prestigious roles in civilian administration.
Sonya Bandouil
