RUSSIAN WAR CRIMES & HUMAN RIGHT VIOLATIONS IN THE WAR

RUSSIAN WAR CRIMES AND HUMAN RIGHT VIOLATIONS IN THE WAR AGAINST UKRAINE

 Irina Mirochnik

The use of weapons of mass destruction against civilians is a crime against humanity and a violation of the four Geneva Conventions of 1949.

By killing civilians, the aggressor’s forces continue to commit crimes against humanity as defined by the Statute of the International Military Tribunal and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, cynically disregarding all the requirements of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War. According to these norms, deliberate attacks on civilians who are not directly involved in hostilities are equated to war crimes.

The taking of civilian hostages is a direct violation of Articles 3 and 34 of the Geneva Convention with regard to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Article 5 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

“According to the press service of Ukrlandfarming company, on May 10, from an elevator in Khlibodarivka, Volnovakha district, Donetsk region, the enemy took out more than 12,000 tons of sunflower seeds, looted and destroyed the infrastructure of the production facility. Equipment was destroyed and the laboratory and weighing complex were ruined, and the office was looted. Earlier, as a result of an air raid and fire, the company’s elevator near Ovruch in the Zhytomyr region was destroyed.”

As of May 12, 2022, since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, 226 children have died and more than 417 children have been injured. Due to the active hostilities in affected regions, there is no possibility to inspect the areas of shelling and destruction. The actual data on dead and injured children in these regions are currently being established.

Complete demining of Ukrainian territory after the war can take up to ten years. Although the minimum term is five years, you should not count on it. This was stated by the head of

the Department of Pyrotechnic Works and Humanitarian Demining of the State Emergency Service Oleg Bondar.

According to him, the Russians are purposefully actively using remote mining systems, placing unguided minefields everywhere – including in settlements – and when fleeing, they leave behind a large number of abandoned or lost ammunition and specially installed explosive devices.

“As of May 12, 2022, since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, 226 children have died and more than 417 children have been injured. Due to the active hostilities in affected regions, there is no possibility to inspect the areas of shelling and destruction. The actual data on dead and injured children in these regions are currently being established.”

Dangerous objects were found in Kyiv, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Sumy, Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro, Donetsk and Luhansk regions. At the same time, mines, cluster mines and other IEDs make up only 10% of detected and neutralized explosive devices. The rest are ammunition.

It should be noted that according to the Armed Forces, at least $ 250 billion will be needed to demine the territories of Ukraine after the victory over the Russian invaders.

According to the press service of Ukrlandfarming company, on May 10, from an elevator in Khlibodarivka, Volnovakha district, Donetsk region, the enemy took out more than 12,000 tons of sunflower seeds, looted and destroyed the infrastructure of the production facility. Equipment was destroyed and the laboratory and weighing complex were ruined, and the office was looted. Earlier, as a result of an air raid and fire, the company’s elevator near Ovruch in the Zhytomyr region was destroyed.

Also in the Luhansk region, in the village of Kamianka, Novopskov district, the occupiers seized the territory of the enterprise – a farm, a factory and equipment. 40% of sown areas are under occupation or are in areas where active hostilities have taken place and where sowing is impossible. In particular, in the Kherson

region lost control over about 100 thousand hectares of land. Control over land in other regions under the aggressor’s occupation has also been lost. In particular, in the Luhansk region lost control over 6.5 thousand hectares of land.

Kyiv and Region

During the occupation and fighting for the city, Russian troops destroyed more than 70% of the housing and civilian infrastructure in Irpin. The mayor of Irpin Alexander Markushin reports about it.

According to him, during the month of fighting, 8,651 urban facilities were superficially damaged, 2,738 facilities were partially destroyed and another 885 facilities were completely destroyed.

Donetsk and Luhansk Regions

In total, on May 11, the towns and villages of Luhansk region came under artillery fire more than 20 times. The head of the Luhansk regional military ad- ministration Serhiy Haidai reported about it.

On May 11, the Russians damaged at least 24 houses, 7 of them in Severodonetsk. Yesterday the enemy started firing at about 10 am. There are various damages of 7 high-rise buildings.

Another 3 houses were destroyed in Rubizhne, 2 in Gorsky, 5 in Vrubivka, 4 in Komyshuvas and 3 in Toshkivka. In total, on May 11, the towns and villages of the district came under artillery fire 26 times. Severodonetsk was shelled the most – 9 times.

The aggravation of the situation has led to difficulties with the delivery of humanitarian goods.

During May 11, Russian occupation forces fired on ten settlements in Donetsk.

One person was killed and another was injured

This was reported by the press service of the Donetsk Region Police.

The occupiers fired on Mariupol, Sloviansk, Avdiivka, Bakhmut, Soledar, Orlivka, Dolyna, New York, Novoselivka, and the village of Krasnohorivka.

The shelling destroyed 22 civilian facilities, including residential buildings, an educational institution, an enterprise and livelihoods.

The farmer died near the village Rozdolne, Volnovakha district, hitting a mine with a tractor, according to the Donetsk regional prosecutor’s office.

In addition, at least two locals in the Donetsk region were injured in shelling by the Russian occupiers on Tuesday and Wednesday (May 10 and 11). As a result of the rocket attack on the city of Bakhmut, private houses were severely damaged and the production plant of the Siniat plant was completely destroyed.

Kharkiv and Region

Russian occupation forces continue to shell Kharkiv and destroy the region’s critical infrastructure. This time an enemy projectile broke a gas pipeline in Kharkiv district. This was reported by the Department of Housing and Communal Services and Fuel and Energy Complex Kharkiv regional military administration. Due to the damage to the gas pipeline, 17.5 thousand households in Lyubotyn, Novy Vysokyi, Pokotylivka, Korotychi, Rai-Olenivka and Berezivka were left without gas. Garden societies were also affected.

Informs the head of the regional military administration (OVA) Oleg Synegubov: “The occupiers fired at the village of Mala Danylivka from rocket-propelled grenade launchers. This morning the enemy fired a missile at Dergachi. Unfortunately, one person died and three were injured”.

The Dergachi Town Council said that at about 12:00 Russian troops fired on the town again. There are dead and wounded. According to officials, the enemy used the MLRS “Uragan”.

Chernihiv and Region

The Russian occupiers fired several air strikes at critical infrastructure in the city of Novgorod-Siversky in the Chernihiv region. As of 1 p.m., 3 people were killed and 15 were injured in air strikes. This was reported by the Chernihiv Regional State Administration.

The air strikes took place at approximately 00:10 and 00:23, probably from a Su- 30SM aircraft. They hit a boarding school and a regular school. Administrative buildings were also damaged: the Novgorod-Siversky District State Administration, the dormitory of the Medical College, a shop and private houses located near the epicenter of the explosions.

Zaporizhzhia and Region

On May 12, at about 9 a.m., servicemen of the Russian armed forces fired on the town of Huliaipole in the Zaporizhzhia region using MLRS “Grad”.

This was announced by the mayor of Huliaipole Serhiy Yarmak.

He added that there is no information about the wounded or dead.

It is known that the infrastructure facilities were damaged. Utilities and local authorities are assessing the situation on the ground.

  Russian military continue to kidnap people in the temporarily occupied districts of Zaporizhzhia region. Since the beginning of the war, 271 cases have been recorded. This was announced by the head of the Zaporozhye Regional Military Administration Oleksandr Starukh. According to the official, 118 people are still being held hostage and 153 have been released.

In the temporarily occupied Russian Federation of Berdiansk, there is no Ukrainian mobile communication and partly the Internet. The occupiers also seized 106 FM radio and called it “Free Berdyansk” and broadcast Russian propaganda and disinformation about the situation in the city and the country.

This was reported in the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration.

It is also reported that the city does not have large supermarkets, industrial enterprises and shops are closing. The reason – the owners refuse to cooperate with the occupiers.

On May 12, at about 10:00 am, a cruise missile was fired by Russian troops in the city of Zaporizhzhia. The attack was carried out on the protected area of the island of Khortytsia. The fire started because of a missile strike. This was reported in the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration.

Sumy and Region

On the morning of May 12, the Russian occupiers attacked Sumy region again, there is a victim. Dmytro Zhyvytskyi, the head of the Sumy Regional Administra- tion, announced the details.

According to him, about 20 heavy artillery strikes were recorded in the village of Novi Vyrky, Sumy district.

“The shelling lasted from 06.00-06.30, one person was killed. Additional information about the destruction is being clarified.”

Dnipro and Region

The head of the Kryvyi Rih military administration, Oleksandr Vilkul, said that on the night of May 12, Russian troops used phosphate munitions in addition to cluster munitions.

At about 7:00 a.m., Zelenodolsk was shelled from MLRS systems. Information on destructions is being specified. One killed – civilian, one wounded – also civilian. According to information published by Vilkul, yesterday, May 11, Russian troops fired on the Zelenodolsk community five times: four times on Velyka Kostroma and once on Zelenodolsk itself.

Poltava and Region

The Head of Poltava regional military administration said: On May 12, 8 to 12 Russian missiles struck Kremenchuk, hitting refineries and other infrastructure. Information on victims and destruction is being clarified.

 Kherson and Region

The situation with the medical sphere in the territory of the temporarily occupied Kherson region is extremely tense. Doctors continue to do their job, but more and more medical facilities are being taken over by the Russian military for their own needs.

The Main Intelligence Directorate reports that the Oleshky District Hospital and the Hola Prystan City Hospital are forced to serve the needs of the Russian Armed Forces. Medical personnel are prohibited from changing their place of residence by evacuating to Ukrainian-controlled territory.

There are many cases of doctors being held “hostage” by the regime in the occupied territories.

15-05-2022

WriterIrina Mirochnik is the President at IMMER GROUP / Doctor of Philosophy in Law (PhD)

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