War Crimes Inquiry Needed into Massive Loss of Civilian Life, Infrastructure
From: Human Rights Watch
- The Russian assault on the Ukrainian city of Mariupol in 2022 left thousands of civilians dead and injured, including many in apparently unlawful attacks, new findings show.
- Russian forces’ devastation of Mariupol and continued efforts to erase Ukrainian culture stand out as one of the worst chapters of their full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
- International bodies and governments committed to justice should focus on investigating senior Russian officials who may have been involved in war crimes in Mariupol.
The Russian military assault on the Ukrainian city of Mariupol between February and May 2022 left thousands of civilians dead and injured, including many in apparently unlawful attacks, and trapped hundreds of thousands for weeks without basic services, Human Rights Watch, Truth Hounds, and SITU Research said in a report with extensive new findings released today. Russian President Vladimir Putin and other senior officials should be investigated and appropriately prosecuted for their role in apparent war crimes committed by Russian forces during the fighting there, and Russia should provide reparations to victims of laws-of-war violations and their families.
The 224-page report, “‘Our City Was Gone’: Russia’s Devastation of Mariupol, Ukraine,” an accompanying digital multimedia feature, and a 20-minute video, analyze the civilian suffering and damage to thousands of buildings, including several hundred high-rise apartments, hospitals, educational facilities, and electricity and water infrastructure. They describe repeated attempts by Ukrainian officials and international agencies to organize official evacuations and aid deliveries in the face of Russian obstruction.
Voice of Ukraine 