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 May 12, 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 May 12, 2023, since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, 480 children were killed and more than 968 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 4 civilians were killed and 41 more were injured by Russian military over the period of May 08-11, as a result of Russian aggression. Information is based on the data of the regional military administrations.
Donetsk and Luhansk Region
In Donetsk region, one civilian was killed and 12 others were wounded as a result of enemy shelling over the past day. This was announced by the head of the Donetsk regional military administration, Pavlo Kyrylenko.
During the day, the Russians carried out 30 attacks on populated areas of the region, dropped an aerial bomb, used S-300 SAMs, “Grad” and “Smerch” MLRSs, mortars, and tube artillery. 44 residential buildings (including 13 apartment buildings), an office building, a cinema, 4 civilian cars, six garages, a motorcycle, two workshops of industrial company in Kramatorsk, a gym, 5 utility buildings, and two shops were damaged.
On May 11, Russian troops shelled Toretsk from artillery. A 65-year-old local resident received a shrapnel wound. On the same day, the Russian army fired at this settlement again, probably from the “Smerch” MLRS. The occupiers’ shells hit the residential quarter. Five men and three women received injuries of varying degrees of severity. Among the victims is a whole family – parents and their son. Houses, outbuildings, garages and a car were also damaged.
Chernihiv and Region
Over the past day, the Russians shelled the Chernihiv region 26 times. This is reported by the regional military administration. Due to shelling from tube artillery, private houses were destroyed and damaged. In addition, two civilians received shrapnel wounds as a result of an explosion (probably a guided aerial bomb).
Dnipro and Region
On the afternoon of May 12, Russian troops shelled Nikopol. As a result of the attack, one person was injured. Three private houses, an outbuilding and a fence were also destroyed. A religious building, seven private houses, six farm buildings, cars and fences were damaged, as well as gas pipelines and power lines.
Kharkiv and Region
Last day, the Russian occupiers opened fire on settlements in three districts of the region. As a result of Russian shelling, houses, an administrative building, primary schools and civil infrastructure were damaged.
In particular, trade pavilions and at least 8 private houses were damaged. An administrative building and an educational institution were also damaged, and public transport was damaged. A 16-year-old girl and 43-, 88-, and 62-year-old women were injured and hospitalized in a moderate condition.
On Friday, May 12, Russian occupying forces shelled a farm in the village of Cherneshchyna, Izium district. A 30-year-old farm worker was killed as a result of the shelling, said the head of the regional military administration, Oleh Synegubov.
Kherson and Region
On Thursday, May 11, Russian troops shelled the territory of the de-occupied Kherson region 80 times. Oleksandr Prokudin, head of the Kherson regional military administration, announced this. It is noted that the enemy fired 339 shells from heavy artillery, “Grad” MLRS, tanks, UAVs and aviation.
The Russian military hit the residential quarters of the populated areas of the region. A school building, a hospital, and the territory and buildings of two critical infrastructure enterprises in the city of Kherson were also damaged, the report says. In addition, due to the Russian aggression, one person died, four more were injured. On May 11, two men near the village of Blagodatne came across a mine left by the occupiers, which detonated. One man died on the spot from his injuries.
On May 12, Russian troops once again shelled the city of Kherson and populated areas of the region. Two women were killed in a private house in the Kakhovka district when an enemy projectile hit a private house. Another local resident was hospitalized with injuries. A woman was also injured due to the shelling of the Dariivka community. Houses, farm buildings, the village council building, and a car were damaged.
Sumy and Region
In the afternoon of May 10, the occupiers from the territory of the Russian Federation shelled the Bilopillia territorial community with artillery. As a result of the enemy attack, a local resident died in one of the villages, and private houses were damaged. As a result of shelling, a private house was almost completely destroyed, garages were partially damaged, in some houses, fences were cut by debris, windows were broken, and roofs were damaged.
Zaporizhzhia and Region
On May 10, Russian troops previously shelled the village of Malokaterynivka, Zaporizhzhia district, with “Grad” MLRSs. 6 local residents were injured. Two ambulances came under fire, and three medical workers were wounded. More than 50 private houses and an educational institution were damaged.
Over the past day, the police recorded 95 strikes by the troops of the aggressor country on 23 peaceful settlements of the region from aviation, tube artillery, MLRSs, UAVs were used. As a result of the armed attack, residential and commercial buildings were destroyed, civil infrastructure objects, cars and agricultural machinery were damaged. In total, the police authorities received 88 reports about the destroyed infrastructure of the region during the day
Government Office for the Coordination of European and Euro-Atlantic Integration