Invaders steal pensions and social payments of Ukrainians, depriving them of their livelihood - Denisova

This was stated by the Ombudswoman Lyudmyla Denisova.

In the temporarily occupied Melitopol, on April 13, Russians stole money from Ukrainian Postal Service intended to pay pensions, allowances and subsidies to the elderly and citizens from vulnerable segments of the population who need support from the state.

"The aggressor's troops, encroaching on citizens' pension and social funds, violate their right to peaceful possession of their property and leave the citizens of Ukraine without a livelihood, provoking a humanitarian crisis in the occupied territories", the Ombudswoman said.

She added that the taking of any property without the consent of its owner for personal use is looting, which is a war crime under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Anyone who commits such acts must be held accountable and punished.

"I call on the UN Crisis Coordinator in Ukraine and the International Committee of the Red Cross to ensure the provision of humanitarian assistance to residents of the occupied territories, including the city of Melitopol, who are on the verge of a humanitarian catastrophe", Lyudmyla Denisova emphasized.

The Ombudswoman called on to the UN Commission of Inquiry into Human Rights Violations during the Russian military invasion of Ukraine and the expert mission, created by the OSCE participating States in accordance with the Moscow Mechanism, to take into account these facts of human rights violations of the Russian Federation in Ukraine.