Ukraine accuses Russia of crimes against humanity as invasion enters one month

As the war between Russia and Ukraine lingers, Ukraine has accused Russia of committing crimes against humanity.

Speaking Wednesday on the war situation in Ukraine, the military attaché, Ukraine Embassy in Nigeria, Colonel Andrii Vasyliev, accused Russia of killing civilians and raping women in occupied territories in Ukraine.

According to him, over 115 have been killed and 140 wounded since the invasion that began on February 24.

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

“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.”

Vasyliev added that “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 Article 8 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, signed both by Ukraine and by the Russian Federation, war crimes include intentional assault when it is known that it will cause accidental widespread, long-term and serious damage to the environment incomparable to expected military superiorit

“As you know, this war began in 2014 with the annexation of Crimea and certain regions of Eastern Ukraine, and the second wave of this war began on February 24, 2022.”

Vasyliev described today as a month of the heroic resistance of the Ukrainian people to Russian invasion, and commended the world community for its support, financial and military assistance in the war against Russia, stressing that “Ukraine is also grateful to the Government of Nigeria for supporting on March 2, the resolution Aggression against Ukraine”, which was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly by a majority of its members.

“Ukraine is also grateful to the world community for imposing a powerful package of economic sanctions against the Russian economy, businesses, banking and individuals, which have already significantly affected the domestic economic situation in Russia”, he stated.

He further called on the world’s leading countries to tighten their sanctions against Russia so that it no longer has any chance of continuing the war.

He said: “Sanctions are needed for Russia to think about how to end this war as soon as possible.

“Meanwhile, the top state leadership of Ukraine will continue its active foreign policy in counteracting military aggression. Thus, the President of Ukraine V. Zelensky holds daily talks with world and European leaders. Various formats of further cooperation are discussed.

“During these talks, Ukraine is asking Western partners to close the skies to Ukraine, or to provide appropriate modern weapons for self-defense against Russian aircraft and missiles.

On what he tagged, Operational Information, Vasyliev noted that Russia has continued full-scale armed aggression against Ukraine.

“The tasks set by the criminal military-political leadership of Russia before the grouping of the occupying forces of the armed forces of the Russian Federation remain unfulfilled. None of the Ukrainian regional centers is occupied. The advance of Russian troops into the depths of Ukraine has been halted, and Ukrainian troops are counterattacking in some areas.”