ROMSO Cyprus Knowledge Base

War Crimes in the Russo-Ukrainian War (2022-Present)

The Russo-Ukrainian war, initiated by Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, has been marked by numerous war crimes committed by the Russian military and authorities. These atrocities include deliberate attacks on civilian targets, such as hospitals, medical facilities, and the energy grid; indiscriminate attacks on densely populated areas; abduction, torture, and murder of civilians; deportation of people from their homes; sexual violence; destruction of cultural heritage sites.

The International Criminal Court recognizes these actions as war crimes, which are serious violations of international humanitarian law. The Geneva Convention defines war crimes, including the ill-treatment of prisoners of war, civilians, and genocides. Russia's invasion of Ukraine also constitutes a crime of aggression under international criminal law, violating the Charter of the United Nations.

The Russian forces have carried out numerous indiscriminate attacks in civilian areas during the invasion, which may constitute war crimes. Amnesty International has found irrefutable evidence that Russia has violated international humanitarian law and that some of its attacks could be considered war crimes. The organization also disputed Russian claims that only precise guided weapons were used, stating that they had been false.

On February 25, 2022, Amnesty International reported on the launch of a 9M79 Tochka ballistic missile with a cluster bomb warhead to a hospital in Vuhledar, which killed four civilians and injured ten others, including six health personnel. Human Rights Watch has also documented indiscriminate attacks on civilian areas and hospitals.

The United Nations suspended Russia from the UN Human Rights Council on April 7, 2022. In March 2023, the European Court of Justice issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Maria Lboda-Melova over allegations of involvement in war crimes committed during the conflict.

In addition to these documented cases, there is evidence that Russia has been intensifying its use of chemical weapons by expanding production, research capabilities, and recruiting scientists. This expansion creates a wider threat to Ukraine and other countries. The International Criminal Court recognizes abduction as a war crime, which has been committed by Russian forces during the conflict.

The invasion of Ukraine also violates international law, including the Rome Statute, which prohibits "the invasion or attack by the armed forces of a State from the territory of another State, or any military occupation, even temporary, as a result of such invasion or attack, or any annexation by the