Ukrainian authorities say they found four locations in Kherson where the Russians “illegally detained and brutally tortured people”. But allegations of alleged war crimes are also leveled at Moscow’s side, with the Kremlin insisting it will punish those responsible for the “cruel” deaths of a dozen Russian soldiers who reportedly surrendered to the Ukrainians. Last week, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said abuses had been committed by both sides.
This is according to a statement from the prosecutor’s office of Ukraine. the Russians had a network of detention centers in Kherson where wooden and plastic batons and devices used to “torture civilians with electricity” were found🇧🇷 While fleeing the city, the only regional capital they captured at the beginning of the war, almost nine months ago, the Russians also left behind documents showing how they managed the places.
Moscow did not respond to this accusation, but insisted that Ukrainians charge war crimes and bring those responsible to justice. At stake are videos that began circulating last week – and the authenticity of both The New York Times like BBC confirmed. In one of them, Russian soldiers lie on the ground, apparently after surrendering, until another appears and starts firing. Ukrainians react and the video stops. But another video, filmed by a drone, shows all Russians ending up dead, including those lying down.
Ukraine denies any war crime and claims the soldiers were killed after a false surrender. The United Nations, which has already denounced the existence of cases of torture of political prisoners on both sides, says the matter should be investigated.
survival winter
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday at the 68th annual session of the Parliamentary Assembly, which ended in Madrid, called on NATO to that ensures the protection of Ukrainian nuclear power plants against “Russian sabotage”, indicating that Moscow is destroying the country’s energy infrastructure “to end the supply of electricity and water and heating in winter”. In recent days, the Zaporizhya factory has been hit again – with Moscow and Kiev trading allegations over which side is responsible.
An adviser to Ukraine’s Defense Ministry, Yurik Sak, claimed in an interview with the BBC that the attacks are a “genocidal campaign” by Russia to “freeze Ukrainians to death”. All because they are not getting the victories they wanted on the front lines.
The World Health Organization’s Director-General for Europe, Hans Kluge, who visited Kiev, warned that this winter will be one of “survival” and “a threat to the lives of millions of people” in Ukraine. Kluge says three million Ukrainians could leave their homes in search of warmth and safety, and Kiev has already started evacuating civilians from the newly liberated areas of Kherson.
Regarding Zaporizia, the Kremlin reported “concern” in light of what it said were Ukrainian attacks on the power station – which the Russians have controlled since March. “We call on all countries in the world to use their influence to stop the Ukrainian armed forces from doing this,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Reuters, insisting Kiev was behind the actions. 🇧🇷
Experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency, who were in Zaporizia, guarantee that there is no risk of a nuclear accident and that the six reactors are stable – as are the fuel and nuclear waste. However, the agency’s director-general, Rafael Grossi, says the attacks are “a major cause for concern” and says he will step up talks to create a protection zone around the nuclear power plant.
“Terrorist State”
Zelensky also called on the parliaments of all NATO countries to declare Russia a “terrorist state”. During a video conference intervention, the president reiterated that Russia is pursuing a “genocidal policy” in Ukraine by targeting the country’s infrastructure.🇧🇷 Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland and the Czech Republic have already declared Russia a terrorist state.
Tomorrow, MEPs vote on a (non-binding) resolution that also declares the Russian Federation a state sponsor of terrorism, due to war crimes and violations of international and humanitarian law. The aim is to pave the way for Russian President Vladimir Putin and others to be tried in an international court.
However, the European Union does not have a legal framework for this designation. Unlike the US. Being on this North American list effectively makes it a pariah state, imposing restrictions on aid, but also controls on some exports that may be for civilian or military use, and other restrictions.
Both the House of Representatives and the Senate have already voted on resolutions defending Russia’s inclusion on the list of state sponsors of terrorism — which includes North Korea, Cuba, Iran and Syria. But US President Joe Biden opposes this move, claiming it could have unwanted consequences for Ukraine itself.
Dignity and Freedom Day
“You can have dignity without freedom. You can have freedom, but you cannot be worthy of it. These are values that are better together,” the Ukrainian leader said at the signing of the Day of Dignity and Freedom, making it clear that “Ukraine has both and that won’t let the ‘enemy’ take them away. Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife Olena lit a candle on the anniversary of the Orange (2004) and Dignity (2013) revolutions. The latter was the start of the uprising against pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych after he rejected a deal with the European Union. Protests in Maidan Square left hundreds dead and culminated in his breakout and annexation of Crimea in 2014.
Source: DN
