The actions of the Russian military amount to crimes against humanity, torture of civilians, the UN commission's report states. Its authors indicate that Russian strikes are aimed at expelling Ukrainians from their homes, DW reports.
Drones operated by the Russian military have repeatedly attacked Ukrainian civilians, resulting in deaths, injuries, and widespread destruction. This is stated in a report published on Monday, October 27, by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Violations in Ukraine, which was established by the UN Human Rights Council in March 2022.
The actions of the Russian military amount to two crimes against humanity, the commission indicates. Firstly, it concerns "killings and forced displacement of populations," and secondly, "deportations" and movements of civilians from areas occupied by Russian troops, some of whom were subjected to torture.
Attacks by Russian Military on Civilian Targets
According to the authors of the report, targeted drone attacks were carried out against a wide range of civilian targets over an area extending more than 300 kilometers along the right bank of the Dnieper River, spanning Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, and Mykolaiv regions. The UN commission views these as systematic and coordinated actions aimed at displacing Ukrainians from their homes, constituting a crime against humanity - forced displacement of populations.
It is noted that the targets of the Russian military attacks included residential buildings, medical facilities, and other civilian infrastructure, as well as emergency response services, including ambulances and fire brigades, which enjoy special protection under international humanitarian law.
The document records that actions to deport or relocate groups of people from occupied territories were coordinated by Russian authorities. Some civilians were relocated to areas controlled by the Ukrainian government, while others were sent to neighboring Georgia.
Cases of Detention, Torture, and Document Confiscation
The report also describes cases of detention, torture, and confiscation of documents and personal belongings - actions that "caused serious mental suffering and pain and constitute inhumane treatment, which is regarded as a war crime and a violation of human rights."
As noted on the UN website, the findings of the report were based on the analysis of 500 publicly available video recordings, 247 of which were technically verified for their filming locations. The document also relied on 226 interviews with citizens of Ukraine. Local residents who were under fire describe their living conditions as unbearable, according to the report.
Reports of Attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on Civilian Objects in Russian-Occupied Territories
The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Violations in Ukraine also examined statements from the Russian side regarding attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces using drones on civilian objects in territories occupied by Russia. However, the commission "was unable to draw any conclusions due to a lack of access to the territory, concerns about the safety of witnesses, and a lack of responses from Russian authorities."
As Reuters reminds, over nearly four years of war, Ukraine has also carried out attacks on civilian infrastructure in Russia and in Ukrainian territories occupied by it, although these attacks were less extensive.
