US Senator Risch visits Hostomel & Irpin, condemns war crimes committed at Putin's behest

As war batters Ukraine with each passing day with no signs of the conflict ceasing anywhere in sight, US Senator Jim Risch visited the war-ravaged country and took a first-hand glimpse of Russia's ruthless military aggression. According to the statement released by Kyiv Regional Military Administration on Telegram, he was accompanied by the head of the Ukrainian Military, Oleksiy Kuleba. As per the statement, the duo visited Hostomel and Irpin and took note of the destruction of settlements and the aftermath of offences perpetrated by the Russian troops. The delegation also visited the Antonov airport, where the Russian military destroyed the world's largest cargo aeroplane Mriya, during the onset of the conflict.

Besides, the US Senator also visited Irpin and Bucha, he both denounced the barbaric genocide of civilians. It was the same place where bodies of more than 400 people were found in April this year. Earlier last week, US Attorney General Merrick Garland also visited the war-torn country and got a closer look at the evidence of war crimes executed by Russian forces since the onset of the brutal war. He assured Kyiv to help pinpoint, apprehend, and prosecute individuals entangled in war crimes. According to the statement released by the US Department of Justice, Garland met with Ukrainian Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova, and he announced the creation of a squad which will look after the accountability of war crimes. Lauding the efforts of the Ukrainian people in upholding the rule of law, the US Attorney General announced extra assistance to war-torn Ukraine in identifying war crimes and prosecuting those involved in atrocities. 

According to Garland, the formation of the War Crimes Accountability Team will help in centralising and strengthening the Justice Department in collecting evidence related to crimes and other atrocities in Ukraine. The team will also help the investigators to share wide-ranging technical assistance, including operational assistance and advice regarding criminal prosecutions, evidence collection, forensics, and relevant legal analysis. Further, he maintained that the team will also scrutinise the killing and wounding of US journalists in the war-ravaged country.

Russia Ukraine war

It is worth mentioning Russia initiated a full-fledged war against Ukraine nearly two days after Vladimir Putin signed a decree recognising the independence of breakaway regions Donetsk and Luhansk. Putin's action came despite the West's repetitive warning and speculations about his ill intention to invade Ukraine. On February 24, the Russian troops started a military operation against Ukraine. Since then, it has been bombarding several cities in Ukraine, resulting in the killing of thousands of civilians. 

Image: @OleksiyKuleba/Telegram