"Crimes Against Humanity": UN Experts On Russia's Drone Attack In Ukraine
Russia's military has committed "crimes against humanity" and "war crimes" in its drone attacks on civilians in Ukraine's Kherson region, UN experts concluded in a report published Wednesday.
The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, established by the UN Human Rights Council, said Russian armed forces were "systematically" hitting civilians.
Russia's drone attacks are in the spotlight as Moscow has launched some of the heaviest missile and drone strikes of its three-year war in Ukraine, with US President Donald Trump voicing growing frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling him "absolutely crazy".
"Russian armed forces have committed the crimes against humanity of murder and the war crimes of attacking civilians, through a months-long pattern of drone attacks targeting civilians on the right bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson Province," the inquiry said.
"These acts were committed with the primary purpose to spread terror among the civilian population, in violation of international humanitarian law."
The categorical nature of that statement is unusual for such an inquiry.
"The attacks are continuing at the time of the publication of this report," they added.
The inquiry said that since July last year, Russian military drone operators on the left bank of the Dnipro had "systematically" struck civilians, and had "targeted ambulances".
'No doubt' civilians targeted
The commission documented drone attacks on civilians in Kherson city and 16 other localities, geolocating videos of attacks and reviewing open sources.
Nearly 150 civilians had been killed and hundreds wounded, the report said, citing official sources. It said men, women and children were among the victims.
"Several Russian Telegram channels with links to the perpetrating military units, some of them with thousands of followers, have disseminated hundreds of videos of the attacks from the original feeds of the drones."
The footage "leaves no doubt that they intended to target civilians".
The report said the attacks amount to the war crimes of intentionally directing attacks against civilians.
The recurrence of such attacks for more than 10 months, against multiple civilian targets in a wide area "demonstrates that they are widespread and systematic and have been planned".
Such elements "led the commission to conclude that Russian armed forces carried out drone attacks targeting civilians pursuant to an organisational policy and committed murder as a crime against humanity", the investigation said.
The commission concluded that publishing of videos of civilians being killed and injured "amounts to the war crime of outrages upon personal dignity".
Accountability
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The UN Human Rights Council established its highest level of inquiry in March that year to probe violations and abuses committed during the conflict.
The commission examined allegations of Ukrainian drone attacks on civilian targets in Kherson province, but could not corroborate them due to lack of information and access on Russia's part.
Moscow does not recognise the commission and did not respond to any of its questions regarding drone attacks.
In its recommendations, the commission said Moscow should immediately end drone attacks on civilians and civilian objects, and acts that spread terror among civilians and lead to forcible displacement.
The Kremlin should also ensure that all perpetrators involved in commissioning such crimes be held accountable to international standards.
The commission said Kyiv should make sure victims are given treatment and support, and support those displaced as a result of drone attacks.
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