Russia's war crimes in Ukraine pass 178,000 amid Trump's peace plan — Axios
Photo: President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Getty Images)
Over 178,000 Russian war crimes have been recorded in Ukraine amid negotiations on Trump's peace plan and a possible amnesty for Russia, Axios reports.
Ukrainian prosecutor Vitalii Dovhal, appearing on CBS's 60 Minutes program, which aired on November 23, said that Ukraine is officially investigating more than 178,000 possible Russian war crimes.
This statement came just as Kyiv and Washington were engaged in intense negotiations on Donald Trump's controversial 28-point peace plan, which in its initial version provided for significant concessions to Russia.
Russian crimes scale unprecedented
According to Dovhal, as of early autumn, 178,391 criminal proceedings had been opened in Ukraine for war crimes committed by the Russian army since the start of the full-scale invasion. According to CBS, this volume of cases effectively makes Ukraine the world's largest crime scene, a phrase used by journalist Scott Pelley in his report.
Pelley recalled that last year he met with Volodymyr Zelenskyy at a playground in Kyiv where a Russian missile killed 9 children and 10 adults. The journalist noted that this was just one of many deadly Russian strikes that formed the basis of numerous criminal proceedings.
Trump's peace plan: demand for amnesty causes shock
The disclosure of the number of war crimes coincided with negotiations between Kyiv and Washington on Trump's peace plan, which consists of 28 points and provides for:
- Transfer of additional territories to Russia
- Full amnesty for Russian military personnel accused of war crimes
- Freezing the conflict on terms favorable to the Kremlin.
The demand for amnesty has become one of the most controversial points, as it contradicts Ukrainian legislation, international law, and the expectations of a society that has experienced mass Russian crimes.
Does updated plan include amnesty?
The joint Sunday statement by the US and Ukraine on significant progress in the negotiations does not specify whether the demand for amnesty remains in the updated version of the plan. The parties confirmed only that they are continuing consultations on the document's details.
Ukraine has repeatedly stated that it will not accept any decisions that would allow those responsible for mass atrocities — from Bucha to Kramatorsk — to escape justice.
To date, international human rights organizations have documented thousands of cases of torture, killings of civilians, forced deportations, and attacks on civilian infrastructure. Investigations are ongoing in all regions of Ukraine where hostilities have taken place or are still ongoing.
Ukraine emphasizes that no peace plan can contradict the right to justice for victims of war.
On Sunday, November 23, consultations were held in Geneva among the US, Ukraine, and European representatives to revise the document in favor of Kyiv.
Following the negotiations, Ukraine and the US prepared an updated and revised framework document on peace and agreed to continue intensive work on joint proposals in the coming days.
