The Pentagon has seen evidence that Russian forces are committing war crimes in Ukraine, Defense Department spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Monday.
The Biden administration has appeared hesitant at times to make the accusation against Russia in the three and a half weeks since the invasion began, though White House officials have repeatedly noted that the targeting of civilians and indiscriminate attacks are war crimes.
“We certainly see clear evidence that Russian forces are committing war crimes, and we are helping with the collecting of evidence of that, but there’s investigative processes that are going to go on, and we’re going to let that happen,” Kirby stated.
He did not provide specific examples of what actions specifically constituted war crimes.
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Last week, President Joe Biden called Russian President Vladimir Putin a “war criminal,” while the Kremlin called the characterization “unacceptable and unforgivable” and later summoned U.S. Ambassador John Sullivan to inform him that the president’s remark “put Russian-American relations on the verge of rupture.”
Russian forces have largely been unsuccessful in their invasion. They remain on the outskirts of major cities, including Kyiv, the capital, that had been key targets for them even after three-plus weeks. Their stymied progress is in part due to Ukraine’s resistance, as well as self-induced problems, including a shortage of food and fuel.
Last week, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the attacks “we’ve seen most recently appear to be focused directly on civilians” and added, “Certainly, we’ve all been shocked by the brutality we continue to witness day in and day out.”
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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 they had spelled out the word “children” in Russian in the front and back of the facility. Ukrainian authorities also said that they bombed a school in Mariupol housing hundreds of people.
The United Nations has said that more than 900 people have died, while another approximately 1,400 have been hurt, though the U.N. also noted that the numbers are likely much higher.
