Ukraine registers more than 18 thousand war crimes related to Russian invasion

As the brutal Russia-Ukraine war entered day 86, Kyiv had registered over 18 thousand crimes related to Moscow's invasion. According to the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office on Telegram, a total of 18,477 crimes were registered in Ukraine by law enforcement officers as part of the Russian invasion on May 19.

The post stated, “A total of 12,595 crimes of aggression and war crimes committed by the Russian military have been registered, namely 12,189 crimes related to the breaking of laws and customs of war, 54 crimes related to planning, preparing for, starting and waging an aggressive war, 15 crimes related to the propaganda of war and 337 other crimes.”

Furthermore, law enforcement officers recorded 5,882 crimes against national security, including 3,890 crimes involving encroachment on Ukraine's territorial integrity and inviolability, 921 crimes involving state treason, 798 crimes involving collaborative activities, 23 crimes involving assistance to the aggressor state, 62 crimes involving sabotage, and 188 other crimes.

Russia has been accused of numerous war crimes in Ukraine

President Joe Biden of the United States and Prime Minister Boris Johnson of the United Kingdom have both accused Russia of war crimes in Ukraine. In Bucha, a settlement on the outskirts of Kyiv, and other adjacent areas, investigators and journalists have discovered evidence of the deliberate slaughter of citizens, according to a BBC report.

Ukrainian military stated they discovered mass graves and proof that civilians were slain after their feet and hands were shackled. The first verified location of a mass killing was a Russian hit on a theatre in Mariupol in March. Notably, outside the building, the word "children" was inscribed in large letters. Russia's airstrike on Mariupol's hospital was earlier labelled a war crime by Ukraine.

However, many experts believe that the invasion itself is illegal under the idea of "aggressive warfare." Further, Karim Khan QC, the International Criminal Court's head prosecutor, feels there is a plausible foundation to assume war crimes were committed in Ukraine. If there is enough proof, the prosecutor will urge ICC judges to issue arrest warrants so that people can be brought to The Hague for trial.

(With agency inputs)

Image: AP