The U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Thursday accused Russia of gross violations of international human rights and humanitarian laws in Ukraine. The accusation was made in a report on recent developments in Russia’s war on Ukraine and was submitted to the U.N. Human Rights Council.
The report focuses on killings of civilians by Russian armed forces through summary executions, which took place in 102 villages between February 24 and April 6.
U.N. monitors have documented the killings of 441 civilians--men, women, boys, and girls--by Russian troops. U.N. rights chief Volker Tuerk said the actual figures are likely to be much higher.
“In some cases, Russian soldiers executed civilians in makeshift places of detention…Even where the victim had shown clearly that they were not a threat, for example, by holding their hands in the air. There are, therefore, strong indications that the summary executions documented in the report may constitute the war crime of willful killing,” said Tuerk.
The report also documents Russian attacks on residential buildings and missile strikes on critical infrastructure, including energy facilities, which are causing extreme hardship to civilians this winter.
Tuerk said his team on the ground is continuing to document violations affecting both civilians and combatants, including arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, torture, and conflict-related sexual violence.
Ukraine's ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva, Yevheniia Filipenko, has called for international support for establishment of a special tribunal. She said Russian political and military leadership must be held to account for the crime of aggression against Ukraine.
In presenting the report, Tuerk expressed his personal horror at the suffering inflicted upon millions of people in Ukraine. Tuerk, who ended a four-day visit to Ukraine a week ago, spoke about the deaths, the anguish of lives uprooted and of families ripped apart.
Since Russia attacked Ukraine February 24, he said nearly 8 million people have fled the country and 6.5 million have been internally displaced. He said more than 18 million people—almost half the population—need humanitarian aid.
“An estimated 1.5 million children are at risk of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental conditions. And I am mentioning this in particular because it shows the horrible impact that the war has in particular on children,” said Tuerk.
U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Human Rights Council Michele Taylor said the United States is outraged by the atrocities committed in the war against Ukraine. She called on Russia to end the war and said Washington stands in solidarity with the people of Ukraine.
