Spain sends police team to investigate possible war crimes in Ukraine

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

ISTANBUL (AA) - A Spanish police team of 11 agents has traveled to Ukraine to investigate possible war crimes and crimes against humanity, the Interior Ministry said on Friday.

Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska met at dawn this Thursday with the Police Support Team that includes National Police and Civil Guard officers at Madrid-Barajas Airport before their departure for Ukraine, the ministry said in a statement.

The team, which is already in the war-hit country, comes from the Systems and Scientific Police departments of the National Police and the Criminalistics Service of the Civil Guard and the National Police, in addition to having specialists in the deactivation of explosives from both security forces.

In addition to these agents, a team from the Rapid Action Group of the Civil Guard has traveled to Ukraine to be in charge of the group's security, the statement added.

The Spanish team's mission is to work alongside Ukrainian investigators and prosecutors in the collection of evidence that can be incorporated into the legal proceedings launched in Ukraine, the ministry said. The specialists are trained to create complete three-dimensional models of bombed facilities and will investigate on the ground the type of materials, weapons and explosive devices as well as the techniques used.

Where appropriate, they will collect information from the people or groups responsible for the serious crimes under investigation, it added.

This departure came a month after Spain sent a police team including four agents to Kyiv where they met with representatives of the Ukrainian Prosecutor's Office to establish the framework for collaboration and determine the work areas.