RUSSIAN WAR CRIMES AND HUMAN RIGHT VIOLATIONS IN THE WAR AGAINST UKRAINE
Sources: Commissioner for Human Rights of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Office of the Prosecutor General, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Internal Affairs, State Emergency Service, National Police, relevant city and town councils and regional state administrations
Summary update as of April 06, 2023
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.
As of April 06, 2023, since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, 467 children were killed and more than 944 children have been injured. Due to the active hostilities in affected regions, there is no possibility to inspect the areas of shelling and destruction.
In Ukraine, at least 21 civilian were killed and 51 more were injured by Russian military over the period of April 02-05, as a result of Russian aggression. Information is based on the data of the regional military administrations.
Donetsk and Luhansk Region
On April 5, the military of the aggressor countries shelled the village of Oleksiievo-Druzhkivka, Kramatorsk district. Shells hit the houses of the horticultural society, as a result of which two women died. Four citizens received mine-explosive injuries and shrapnel injuries. Private houses and farm buildings were destroyed. According to preliminary information, the Russian army once again used the “Uragan” MLRSs against the civilian population.
As a result of Russian shelling last day, five residents of the region were killed, and nine others were injured. This was announced by the head of the Donetsk regional military administration, Pavlo Kyrylenko.
Over the past day, the police recorded 18 Russian attacks in 11 populated areas of the region. The enemy struck from aviation, S-300 SAMs, “Smerch” and “ Uragan” MLRSs, tube artillery, and tanks. 30 civilian objects were destroyed and damaged – 18 residential buildings, a kindergarten, a cinema, businesses, farm buildings, a power line, a tractor, cars.
Kharkiv and Region
On April 5, the Russian military fired on the city of Kupiansk with anti-aircraft missiles. A residential building and a school were damaged. The village of Kucherivka of the Kupiansk district came under the fire of the occupiers. A man was injured, he was hospitalized. In the village of Dovhenke, Kupiansk district, as a result of Russian artillery fire, private homes were damaged.
On April 6, law enforcement officers exhumed the body of a 51-year-old man at the cemetery in the village of Bezruky. According to the investigation, the victim was killed on April 9 last year in the village of Slatyne during shelling by Russian troops.
Kherson and Region
On April 5, the Russian occupiers shelled the Kherson region 42 times. This was reported by the press service of the regional military administration. The occupiers used mortars, tube artillery and drones, fired in total 151 shells.
The Russian army attacked the residential quarters of Kherson nine times. The enemy targeted critical infrastructure facilities, private and apartment buildings. As a result of Russian shelling last day, one person was injured in the region.
Zaporizhzhia and Region
On April 6, the Russians targeted a five-story residential building in Orikhiv. It is known in advance that the strike was made with an anti-aircraft missile. In addition, the city was hit by an airstrike that damaged the residential sector. This was announced by the head of the Zaporizhzhia regional military administration Yuriy Malashko.
It is noted that the Russian army also shelled Huliaipole. Two missiles hit a civilian infrastructure object. The shock wave damaged nearby high-rise buildings. Information about the victims is being clarified.
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