“Russians are doing everything that can be seen in the worst nightmares,” says Monika Andruszewska, who documents Russian war crimes, in an exclusive interview with Kyiv Post.
From: Kyiv Post by Michał Kujawski
War crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine have been regularly investigated by Ukrainian prosecutors and international institutions such as the International Criminal Court (ICC) from the very beginning of war. In the near future, the Council of Europe will also establish an international tribunal tasked with examining these cases.
Investigating Russian crimes also involves collecting testimonies and working in areas where there were occupying forces.
Kyiv Post spoke with Monika Andruszewska, who, as part of her work for Poland’s Raphael Lemkin Center for Documenting Russian Crimes in Ukraine, documents Russian crimes committed against civilians.
Monika Andruszewska: In 2014, when Euromaidan started, I witnessed this incredible movement for independence and young people my age. I decided to skip my university exams and go to Kyiv. History was happening there, and I wanted to be part of it. I was 21 years old and saw my first death. The fact that people were being killed in the middle of Europe influenced my future life decisions. I then observed the events in Donbas. Everyone I met on Maidan headed to eastern Ukraine. Most of them were students who suddenly became soldiers. I helped them organize necessary items like uniforms and first aid kits. I was already receiving reports that Russia was killing people in Crimea and Donbas. For example, one of the first crimes was the murder of 16-year-old Stepan Chubenko, who was abducted and shot near Donetsk by Russian separatists. More people were beaten and killed there. It was shocking to me – in the 21st century, Russia has been killing children, and no one is reacting. People have been abducted and killed for their beliefs and attitudes. The world’s lack of response gave me a deep sense of injustice.
Voice of Ukraine 