Russian war crimes in Ukraine: UN Commission releases report

This is reported by the UN press service.

"The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine documented further evidence that Russian authorities have committed indiscriminate attacks and the war crimes of torture, rape and other sexual violence, and deportation of children to the Russian Federation," the statement says. 

The report states that indiscriminate Russian attacks with explosive weapons have caused civilian deaths or injuries, and have resulted in the destruction or damage to civilian objects.

In addition, the investigation confirmed the commission's previous conclusion that the Russian authorities systematically and widespreadly used torture in various places of detention.

"In addition to the Commission’s previous findings of torture in Ukraine and detention facilities in the Russian Federation, the new evidence for this report, collected in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, shows the same pattern of torture in areas under Russian authorities’ control. In the cases investigated, perpetrators mainly tortured men suspected of passing information to the Ukrainian authorities, or of otherwise supporting the Ukrainian armed forces," the report says. 

The Commission interviewed victims of Russian attacks. According to the victims' reports, the Russians showed a "profound disregard for human dignity". Witnesses said that there were situations when torture was so severe that the victim died.

"In a detention facility in a school in Biliayivka village, Kherson region, co-detainees requested medical care when a victim showed signs of respiratory distress immediately after being tortured. However, Russian armed forces refused, and the victim died within an hour."

The Commission, in its investigations in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, recorded that rape and other sexual violence was often accompanied by additional acts of violence against victims, including severe beatings, strangulation, suffocation, cuts, shots fired close to the victim's head and premeditated murder.

The Commission also investigated the deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia or the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine.

"The Commission documented the transfer of 31 children from Ukraine to Russia in May 2022, and concluded that it was an unlawful deportation, which is a war crime. The Commission is concerned about information regarding measures that have the apparent aim of allowing certain children to remain for prolonged periods in the Russian Federation," the report says. 

They emphasized that the perpetrators should be brought to justice.

The full text of the report submitted to the UN General Assembly is available here.

• Earlier, the SBI said that Ukraine is ready to provide the UN with information about Russian war crimes in Ukraine. In particular, this includes evidence of torture of civilian and prisoners of war by Russians.