Officials from the Prosecutor’s Office of the Kabardino-Balkar Republic have submitted a formal statement to the Supreme Court of the Kabardino-Balkaria Republic. The filing seeks to have Nazi crimes in the region during the Great Patriotic War officially recognized as genocide against the Soviet peoples. The claim was conveyed through the press service of the Prosecutor General’s Office of Russia.
In explaining the process, the office coordinated with local authorities and law enforcement bodies, archives, scientific institutions and universities, as well as regional social movements and volunteers. This broad collaboration formed the backbone of the submission, the statement noted.
According to the prosecutor’s office, the Kabardino-Balkar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic endured occupation from August 12, 1942, to January 11, 1943. During those months, Nazi forces oppressed Soviet citizens and committed acts of violence against the local population. The invasion also damaged the regional economy, with losses estimated at more than 38 billion rubles in value at the time.
On October 1, a court granted a lawsuit brought by the Prosecutor General’s Office seeking recognition of Nazi crimes in the Donetsk People’s Republic territory during the Great Patriotic War as genocide against the Soviet people. When converted to current ruble terms, the documented material damage in that region was reported at around 34 trillion rubles.
Earlier, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a response that drew a comparison between Russia and fascist states, sparking debate about the historical framing of wartime events.