The following article is Part One of a Two-Part series on war crimes in Ukraine. This article contains descriptions of crimes against humanity and sexual violence. Linked sources may contain graphic accounts of human rights violations; please read with discretion. The DU Health & Counseling Center and Center for Advocacy, Prevention and Empowerment are available to provide support should this topic cause stress or anxiety.
After seven months of raging conflict and untold destruction, the Ukraine War has claimed nearly 6,000 civilian lives with 6.6 million refugees fleeing their homes in search of stability.
The Ukrainian counteroffensive earlier this month signaled a new phase of the conflict, reclaiming 6,000 square kilometers in the eastern sectors of the country. The operation concurrently exposed indescribable acts of violence suffered by Ukrainian civilians at the hands of the Russian military, a consistent theme throughout the conflict.
In April 2022, initial allegations emerged of crimes against humanity. Following the Russian retreat from Kyiv suburbs, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced approximately 458 civilians were tortured and killed in Bucha, a suburb northwest of the capital. Ensuing investigations classified many of the deaths as ‘sadistic killings’ wherein Russian troops executed civilians and engaged in sexual violence including rape.
To the south of Ukraine in the port city of Mariupol, known for the steel plant siege, satellite images found a possible mass grave site 12 miles west of the city. Approximately 20 times larger than the site in Bucha and measuring the length of three football fields, intelligence experts estimate the site could hold upwards of 9,000 bodies.
The liberated town of Izium is the most recent focal point of war crimes investigations after more than 450 bodies were found in mass graves outside the city. The majority of those buried in the makeshift site were civilians. This new investigation is just one of 200 ongoing war crimes investigations across the Kharkiv area.
In an interview with NPR, Kharkiv chief war crimes prosecutor Oleksandr Ilyenkov indicated many of the bodies showed signs of torture but had been relatively preserved due to the clay content of the soil. Ilyenkov ended his statement saying that in his 10 years as prosecutor, he had not seen anything of this magnitude.
Across the country, Ukrainian investigators are collaborating with forensic pathologists, ballistic experts and police investigators to collect DNA samples, establish cause of death and ultimately repatriate the bodies with loved ones.
Russian responses and international condemnation
In response to the allegations, the Russian government has continued to argue the accusations are baseless accounts of western propaganda. A recent statement by the Russian Parliament International Affairs Committee called the claims “another low-grade provocation and lie, devoid of any originality.”
During the United Nations General Assembly 77th Session last week, the United States and European allies called for investigations into Russian war crimes. In a statement to the UN Security Council, which holds the power to request a special war crimes tribunal, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken explicitly accused Russia of human rights atrocities.
