Ukraine blames Russia for around 15,000 war crimes, ICC committed to probe allegations

Ukraine has claimed that the Russian forces have committed around 15,000 war crimes in the country since the beginning of the Russian invasion of the former Soviet state. Ukraine's Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova said during a press conference in The Hague with the attendance of Karim Khan, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) that in Ukraine, there are roughly 15,000 cases of war crimes.

Prosecutor Karim Khan, on the other hand, stated that Ukraine is a country where crimes are committed and that the International Criminal Court (ICC) will investigate them, according to media reports. He further said that wherever they find physical access, they will conduct investigations and that they will have access to information acquired by other states. He went on to say that the reality is that Ukraine is 'a crime-ridden country'.

Khan recalled the operations of a combined investigation team made up of experts from Ukraine, Poland and Lithuania, which was established in late March. Prosecutor Karim Khan said on May 17 that a team of 42 investigators and experts had been dispatched to Ukraine to look into crimes committed during Russia's invasion. He claimed that all offences in their jurisdiction will be investigated, underlining that the probe is independent and unbiased.

Two Russian soldiers sentenced to more than eleven years for war crimes

In the meanwhile, a Ukrainian court sentenced two Russian soldiers to more than eleven years in prison for war crimes committed in the Kharkiv region, according to media reports. The accused identified as Alexander Bobykin and Alexander Ivanov were sentenced to 11.5 years in prison for bombarding civilian districts of Kharkiv, according to Ukrainian Pravda. Bobykin was the driver-charger of Russia's "Hail" volley fire system, while Ivanov was its gunner. They were accused of shooting at civilians in the Kharkiv region, causing damage to an electric substation, overhead power lines and several residential structures.

Russian soldiers had been found guilty of breaking wartime laws and the prosecutor's office had sought a sentence of 12 years in prison for violating the laws of war. Russia has also been blamed for committing war crimes against cultural heritage. Earlier, Ukraine's Culture Minister Oleksandr  Tkachenko said that his agency has registered more than 350 Russian war crimes against cultural heritage.

Image: AP