Amnesty International said today there is convincing evidence that Russian troops committed war crimes, including extrajudicial killings of civilians, when they occupied an area near the Ukrainian capital in February and March.
A report by the human rights group also stated that civilians were also subjected to abuses such as “wide shooting and torture” at the hands of Russian forces during the Kremlin’s failed attack on Kiev in the early stages of the invasion launched on February 24.
“These are not isolated incidents. They are part of a pattern that is seen wherever Russian forces control a town or village,” Donatella Rovera, Amnesty International’s senior crisis response adviser, told a news conference in Kiev.
The information gathered by the group could “hopefully be used in the future, if not today, to hold perpetrators accountable,” he said.
Describing its invasion as a “special operation” to disarm Ukraine and protect it from fascists, Russia denies any abuse of its forces. Kyiv and its Western supporters say the allegation of fascism is a false pretext for a war of aggression without reason.
Ukrainian officials say they are investigating more than 9,000 potential war crimes committed by Russian troops. The International Criminal Court is also investigating alleged war crimes.
Amnesty International’s report is the latest to document alleged war crimes committed by Russian forces while occupying an area northwest of Kiev, including the city of Bucha, where Ukrainian officials say more than 400 civilians have been killed. Moscow withdrew its troops in early April.
source: Noticias
