Typical investigative situations in the investigation of criminal offenses in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine

The investigation of crimes in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine is inextricably linked to a set of factors and special conditions determined by ongoing hostilities, legal jurisdiction uncertainty, a legal vacuum, the inability of Ukrainian law enforcement officers to access crime scenes before the territory is de-occupied, limited communication with victims and witnesses, armed control by Russian occupation forces over parts of internationally recognized Ukrainian territory, the establishment of an occupation regime by representatives of the Russian occupation administration in seized Ukrainian settlements, the deportation of Ukrainian citizens, filtration measures, and the commission of acts of violence including torture, intentional killings, and other violent crimes by Russian military personnel, mercenaries, and individuals engaged in aggressive warfare against Ukraine. These crimes target prisoners of war, local law enforcement officers, human rights defenders, intellectuals, clergy, and other civilians as part of an intimidation campaign. War criminals employ additional concealment measures by removing identification marks, hiding their faces, using masks and call signs, and destroying crime scene evidence through the demolition of dams and bridges, arson, missile and artillery strikes on de-occupied settlements, and the use of mobile crematoriums to incinerate the bodies of tortured individuals. The latent nature of these crimes significantly complicates their detection and investigation. The documentation of general criminal and war crimes in occupied territories, the identification of perpetrators, ensuring the principle of inevitability of punishment, and restoring the violated rights of Ukrainian citizens are priority tasks for law enforcement agencies and pressing issues for forensic science. Addressing these challenges requires the application of non-standard forensic techniques and tools, particularly those related to remote evidence collection. In these conditions, typical investigative situations play a crucial role in planning investigative (search) actions, constructing well-founded investigative versions, and organizing the coordinated efforts of the investigative team. The study employs general scientific and specialized analytical methods. The research results include an analysis of the forensic characteristics of investigative situations, their essence, content, structure, classification, and types. The practical value of this study lies in the first-time identification of typical investigative situations in the investigation of crimes committed in the occupied territories of Ukraine. It also proposes methods for adapting investigative (search) actions, provides practical recommendations, and presents pre-trial investigation algorithms that contribute to resolving investigative challenges while considering the specific conditions of such investigations.

forensic characteristics, tactical operations, typology of investigative situations