Ukraine investigating over 26,000 alleged war crime reports filed since Feb 24: Report

Amid the 167-days-long running Russian war, Ukraine has recorded and is investigating over 26,000 war crime complaints since February 24, said a prominent Kyiv official. 135 of the alleged war criminals have been charged under national laws for committing heinous war crimes in the said duration. Only 15 of those booked are currently under Ukrainian custody, said the head of the war crime investigation department of the Ukraine Prosecutor General's office, Yuriy Bilousov during an interview with Reuters.

So far seven verdicts have been issued after 13 cases were submitted to Ukrainian courts as the Russian troops continued a rampage in several pockets of Ukraine, Bilousov said. Meanwhile, 120 of those who allegedly committed war crimes are currently on the run, he added. among the seven verdicts given by the Ukrainian court was the life sentence slapped on 21-year-old Russian soldier, Vadym Shyshimarin who was convicted of murdering an unarmed 61-year-old civilian in the northeastern village of Chupakhivka on February 28.

What is a war crime?

According to the United Nations, war crime means violating international humanitarian law, most specifically a treaty or customary agreement that levies heavy damage to life and property. The four main categories of war crimes are governed by statutes of the ICTR and ICTY and divided into four categories- grave breach of Geneva Conventions, genocide, crimes against humanity, violating laws and international customs of war which means civilians, civil infrastructure cannot be targeted in a premeditated attack. Further, the attackers cannot use banned or weapons of mass destruction to cause devastation. The definition of war crime was established by the Rome Statute of the ICC.

Allegations of war crimes in Ukraine

According to the former Prosecutor General of Ukraine Iryna Venediktova, Kyiv received at least 200-300 war crime complaints on daily basis. She stated that about 600 invading troops committed heinous crimes like killing unarmed civilians, bombing civil infrastructure, "genocide," rape, and robbery. Meanwhile, despite Russia's denial, independent investigators, as well as journalists, have found credible evidence that establishes the "deliberate" killing of people in Irpin and Bucha during the early days of the war. Further, Ukrainian forces also claimed to have unearthed mass graves with dozens of bodies shoved in the pit with hands and feet tied. Russia also struck the theatre in Mariupol with 'children' written outside in bold letters.

It is pertinent to mention that the International Criminal Court (ICC) also launched an investigation into the alleged war crime committed by Russian troops in Ukraine. ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan Ahmed has reportedly directed the investigators to "explore all evidence preservation opportunities" to probe any act of genocide committed on Ukrainian territory. Meanwhile, Kyiv on several occasions accuses Russia of committing a war crime in Ukraine, including bombings of a maternity hospital in Mariupol in May, shelling of a correctional facility in Olenivka in July, mass killings in Bucha, Irpin, and rampant attacks on Donetsk and Luhansk region- allegations that Russia has outrightly denied.

(Image: AP)