Ukraine: evidence of Russian war crimes must be preserved as territory regained

‘We are calling on the international community to provide resources that will assist Ukraine’s efforts’ - Marie Struthers

Responding to the discovery of new evidence of alleged war crimes committed by Russian forces following military advances by Ukrainian forces and the retaking of territory previously occupied by Russia, Marie Struthers, Amnesty International’s Eastern Europe Director, said:

“As Ukraine regains control of land occupied by Russian forces, it must prioritise securing evidence of their alleged war crimes.  “Gathering such evidence is extremely resource-intensive, and so we are calling on the international community to provide resources that will assist Ukraine’s efforts. 

“In what appears to be a response to Ukraine’s military gains, Russia has launched attacks that caused significant damage to critical civilian infrastructure, including a power plant strike that led to power and water outages and disrupted civilian activities.  “These strikes must be investigated with a view to ensuring that anyone suspected of criminal responsibility is brought to justice.”

In recent days, Ukrainian forces have reportedly regained control of more than 3,000-square kilometres of territory previously occupied by Russia - including Izyum and Kupiansk, two key towns in Kharkiv oblast.  

As Russian forces retreat, evidence of alleged war crimes committed by them and Russia-backed armed groups is emerging in the form of testimonies, video footage and photographs. On 10 September, Ukrainian law-enforcement agencies reported that police officers had exhumed the bodies of two men allegedly tortured and killed in March by Russian forces in Hrakove village in Kharkiv oblast.