In a statement released in Geneva this Tuesday morning, the UN warned that Russia’s latest wave of attacks on Ukrainian cities may have violated the laws of war and therefore could be considered a “war crime” if the attack turns out to have deliberately targeted civilians.
Since Monday, the Russian government has stepped up its attacks on cities in Ukraine and again bombed the capital, Kiev, for the first time since June. The Kremlin confirmed that such a gesture was made in response to the blast that affected the bridge between Crimea and Russian territory over the weekend.
Tonight, new attacks have been recorded and come amid accusations by Western powers that the Russian offensive constitutes a war crime to target civilians.
In Lviv, authorities announced that a part of the city was again without electricity after new attacks on the region.
At least 19 people have been killed and more than 100 injured since Monday, according to the Ukrainian government. Kyiv also points out that more than 80 missiles were fired on Ukrainian territory by the Russians.
At the UN, UN Human Rights spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani still says that “at least 12 civilians have been killed and more than 100 injured in the regions of Kiev, Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia, as well as Kyiv and Sumi.” “The location and timing of the attacks, where people went to work and took kids to school, was particularly shocking,” she said.
“We are seriously concerned that some attacks target critical civilian infrastructure,” he said.
Many civilian objects – including at least 12 electrical installations – were damaged or destroyed, including dozens of residential buildings and vital civil infrastructure in eight regions, suggesting that these attacks may have violated the principles of conducting hostilities under international humanitarian law.” warned.
“Damage to major power stations and power lines ahead of next winter raises concerns about the impact on civilian protection and particularly on vulnerable populations,” he said.
According to him, attacks on civilians and objects indispensable for civilian survival are “prohibited under international humanitarian law”. “We call on the Russian Federation to avoid further escalation and take all possible measures to avoid civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure.”
Tuesday will still be an emergency meeting between G7 leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The Ukrainian wants a compromise that Western powers will provide anti-aircraft battery systems so that the country can defend itself.
US President Joe Biden has signaled that he is ready to help Kiev. But there is fear among diplomats that further American and European intervention will bring NATO directly into confrontation with Russia.
In Moscow, the government insists that “targets have been met” by the attacks over the past two days. But they warn that this is only the beginning of the answer. Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said, “This is just the first chapter. Others will follow.” French President Emmanuel Macron estimates that the attack “deeply changed” the conflict.
“The Kremlin has once again raised its aggression to a new level,” said Ursula van der Leyen, president of the European Commission. “We need to protect our critical infrastructure,” she added.
source: Noticias
