A human rights group has accused Russian military forces of committing war crimes against Ukrainian civilians during the invasion of Ukraine.
Human Rights Watch, a nongovernmental organization, says that it has documented several instances in which Russian soldiers have committed war crimes against the Ukrainian people, according to a statement released on Sunday. Instances of violent crimes include rape, murder, and violence committed against civilians.
“The cases we documented amount to unspeakable, deliberate cruelty and violence against Ukrainian civilians,” Hugh Williamson, the Europe and Central Asia director with HRW, said in the statement.
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After interviewing 10 people, including victims, local civilians, and witnesses of the offenses, the group found that Russian soldiers had committed these violent acts between Feb. 27 and March 4, according to the statement.
One instance occurred in Bucha, a suburban town outside of the capital city of Kyiv, where five men were executed by soldiers after being forced to kneel on the side of the road, a witness told HRW. Another instance involved six men who had been apprehended on Feb. 27 also being executed, one of the victims’ mothers said.
Other such incidents include a 60-year-old man and his son being threatened with execution after Russian soldiers found gasoline and a hunting rifle in their yard. A woman claimed that she had been repeatedly raped and had her face, neck, and hair beaten and slashed, according to the statement from HRW.
“Russia has an international legal obligation to impartially investigate alleged war crimes by its soldiers,” Williamson said of the violent acts. “Commanders should recognize that a failure to take action against murder and rape may make them personally responsible for war crimes as a matter of command and responsibility.”
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The statement from HRW comes a day after almost 300 people were discovered buried in a mass grave in the town of Bucha. The mayor of Bucha, Anatoly Fedoruk, said that the bodies of the deceased had been scattered throughout the streets.
The Russian military revealed on March 29 that it would scale back operations near Kyiv while peace talks occur between the two countries.
