Russian forces have “deliberately and intentionally” targeted civilian areas and infrastructure during the most recent days of their incursion in Ukraine, according to a senior U.S. defense official.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said on Monday the Department of Defense has seen “clear evidence” that Russian forces had committed war crimes, but he didn’t provide specifics. On Tuesday, the U.S. official added that the Pentagon had seen targeting of “hospitals” and “places of shelter” over the “last week or so.”
The official declined, when asked, to go into specific examples of Russian strikes or behavior that meet the criteria of a war crime.
The increased brutality has been met by U.S. officials with a stronger willingness to accuse Russia of such crimes, including by President Joe Biden, who referred to Russian President Vladimir Putin as a “war criminal” last week.
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The Russians have bombarded various cities throughout the country, turning once-thriving cities into desecrated shells with mass graves, scattered debris, bombed-out buildings, and collapsed structures. Thousands have died, and millions have been forced out of their homes, fleeing to nearby countries.
The Russians’ efforts continue to stall as they’ve only captured two city centers and remain on the outskirts of Kyiv. It appears as though they have opted to try to bomb Ukraine into submission because they’ve been unable to overpower them to date, and this strategy includes the launching of attacks and missiles with disregard for civilian life.
“We have seen clear evidence that over the — certainly, over the last week or so, the Russians have deliberately and intentionally targeted civilian infrastructure, hospitals, places of shelter, and we also have indications of behavior on the ground by Russian forces that would likewise constitute war crimes,” the senior official said. “I’m not going to get into a list of it.”
Kirby, in a Tuesday morning television interview, said the Pentagon is unsure of what Putin’s “endgame is now,” considering the way the nearly first four weeks have gone.
Russian forces shelled a local maternity hospital last week where at least 17 women and staff members were injured and five people died. Days later, they bombed a Mariupol theater that had been serving as a shelter, even though the Ukrainians had spelled out the word “children” in Russian in the front and back of the facility. Ukrainian authorities also said that the Russians bombed a school in Mariupol housing hundreds of people.
The Russians have faced significant resistance from Ukrainians, more than they anticipated, and it has prevented them from reaching their main objective of capturing Kyiv. Ukrainian forces retook control of a strategically important suburb of Kyiv, and the official noted that they are “now able and willing to take back territory that the Russians have.”
Part of the Ukrainian forces’ success is a result of the incompetence of the Russian military. Some Russian soldiers have been “taken out of the fight because of frostbite,” the official added. “They lack the appropriate cold-weather gear for the environment that they’re in.”
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Previously, the Pentagon said that some Russian troops have willingly surrendered, while others have sabotaged their vehicles. Some of the soldiers are conscripts.
Russian forces have also lost thousands of troops to date. A pro-Kremlin tabloid, owned by a Russian oligarch, published and then deleted a report citing Russia’s Defense Ministry saying that they were approaching 10,000 killed in action. Ukrainian forces have said that number is higher, more than 15,000, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Both sides have incentives to lie about these numbers, and precise confirmation is near impossible.
