UN investigators find mounting evidence of Russian war crimes in Ukraine

The United Nations Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine says there is a growing body of evidence of war crimes and possible crimes against humanity committed by Russia in its war of aggression against Ukraine. In its oral update, which was delivered to the UN Human Rights Council Monday, the commission presented a picture of widespread violations and abuse against the civilian population and of wanton, large-scale destruction of essential infrastructure.

“The commission is concerned by the continuous evidence of war crimes committed by the Russian armed forces in Ukraine,” said Erik Møse, chair of the commission.

“Well into the second year of the armed conflict, people in Ukraine have been continuing to cope with the loss and injury of loved ones, large-scale destruction, suffering and trauma as well as economic hardship that have resulted from it,” he said. 

“Thousands have been killed and injured, and millions remain internally displaced or out of the country.”

Russia boycotted the proceedings and was not in the room to respond to these charges. In the past, it has denied targeting civilians.

Latest figures from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) put the number of civilian deaths at 9,614 and injuries at 17,535 since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. The agency, however, notes the number of casualties is likely to be much higher.

Statistics from the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) show 5.1 million people are displaced within Ukraine and another 6.2 million have fled to other countries as refugees.

Since it was established in March 2022, the three-member commission has visited Ukraine more than ten times, gathering information from government authorities and “listening to harrowing testimonies” from victims and witnesses of abuse.

“The commission regrets that all communications addressed to the Russian Federation remain unanswered,” said Møse.

The investigators report that “attacks with explosive weapons in populated areas have led to extensive destruction and damage and have been the leading cause of deaths and injuries among the civilian population.”

They have documented explosive weapons attacks against residential buildings, a railway station, commercial warehouses, medical and other key facilities that have disrupted essential services and supplies.

“In most cases, there seemed to not have been a military presence at the affected sites or in their vicinity,” said Møse.

In Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, regions which had been under prolonged Russian occupation, the commission collected further evidence indicating that the use of torture by Russian armed forces in areas under their control has been widespread and systematic, noting that the principal targets of torture were persons accused of being informants of the Ukrainian armed forces.

Møse told the council that torture mostly took place in various detention centers controlled by Russian authorities, and that “the torture was inflicted with such brutality that it caused the death of some of the victims.”

He said the armed conflict has had devastating consequences for children and that the commission is continuing to investigate individual situations of alleged transfers of unaccompanied minors by Russian authorities to the Russian Federation.

“It regrets that there is a lack of clarity and transparency on the full extent, circumstances, and categories of children transferred,” said Møse.

Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin, addressing the proceedings by video link, lambasted “the massive atrocities committed to a shocking degree by Russia in the course of its war of aggression against Ukraine.”

He spoke with passion and anger about the harm caused to the more than 19,000 Ukrainian children who have been forcibly transferred and deported from their country by Russia’s top leadership.

“Ukrainian children are stripped of their Ukrainian citizenship and put for adoption into Russian families,” he said. “It is a war crime and crimes against humanity that also could amount to crime of genocide in line with the 1948 Genocide Convention.”

Møse said the commission also was “concerned about allegations of genocide in Ukraine.” For instance, he said that “some of the rhetoric transmitted in Russian state and other media may constitute incitement to genocide.”
He said the commission is continuing its investigations on such issues.

“We continue our efforts to collect evidence which may be of use for judicial accountability purposes,” he added.

The United Nations Human Rights Council created the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine to investigate violations and abuses of human rights, violations of international humanitarian law, and related crimes that may have been committed in the context of the aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine.

The commission is required to present its findings and recommendations, including on accountability of those responsible for the violations, to the General Assembly in October 2023, and to the Human Rights Council in March 2024. The commission comprises Erik Møse (Chair), Pablo de Greiff and Vrinda Grover.

The human rights and humanitarian situation in Ukraine deteriorated rapidly in 2022, after the Russian Federation’s invasion escalated eight years of conflict in the east into a full-scale war. The devastation and destruction have been staggering, with some 40 percent of Ukraine’s population now in need of humanitarian assistance and protection. At least 17.6 million people in Ukraine require humanitarian aid this year. Among them are 3.2 million children.

The war in Ukraine has further escalated in 2023, with hostilities ravaging communities in the east and south and taking a heavy toll on civilians living close to the front line. The war also has had a devastating impact on the mental health and well-being of children, including millions who had to flee for safety, whether internally or outside.

The conflict has forced many to flee Ukraine, resulting in a humanitarian crisis of a scale not witnessed in Europe for decades. The war in Ukraine has led to one of the two major displacement crises in the world - the other being the Syrian civil war. As of September, at least 11.3 million people are displaced by the war. More than 6.2 million refugees have sought refuge in foreign countries. At least 5.1 million people are displaced within Ukraine.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has created one of the largest humanitarian disasters globally. Violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law occurring in the course of the ongoing armed attack are widespread. Millions of civilians fear for their lives. People in Ukraine continue to be killed, wounded and deeply traumatized by the violence.

Some information for this report provided by VOA.

Further information

Full text: Oral Update of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, Human Rights Council, 54th session, September 25, 2023
https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/hrbodies/hrcouncil/coiukraine/20230923-Oral-Update-IICIU-EN.pdf

Website: Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine
https://www.ohchr.org/en/hr-bodies/hrc/iicihr-ukraine/index