November 19 marks 1,000 days since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. This grim milestone highlights the immense suffering the war has brought to Ukrainian civilians in particular as a result of the war crimes and crimes against humanity perpetrated by Russian forces.Russia’s war has killed over 11,700 Ukrainian civilians and injured close to 27,000. At least 6.7 million people have fled Ukraine and millions more have been internally displaced.Russian forces have carried out indiscriminate bombing and shelling of civilian infrastructure. Recent days saw the largest strikes in months, with Russian attacks in Kyiv, Odesa, Kryvyi Rih, Sumy, and other cities, targeting civilian infrastructure and killing civilians. Russia’s attacks on Ukraine’s energy grid caused country-wide blackouts, leaving millions without electricity, water, and heat.In areas of Ukraine that they occupy, Russian forces have also committed war crimes and crimes against humanity. These include torture and killings of civilians, sexual violence, enforced disappearances, and forcible transfers and unlawful deportations of Ukrainians.Given US president-elect Donald Trump’s prioritizing an end to the war, it’s important to highlight the fate of civilians living in these areas and the need for justice and accountability for crimes committed against them.In Crimea, under occupation since 2014, …read more
Source:: Human Rights Watch