UN calls Russian strikes on Ukraine's Kherson war crimes: Ukraine reacts
Photo: The UN has recognized Russian drone attacks on Kherson as war crimes (Getty Images)
The UN Commission has concluded that drone strikes by Russian armed forces on civilians in the Kherson region qualify as crimes against humanity, according to a special UN report, Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.
"Russian armed forces have committed murder of civilians as crimes against humanity using drones," concludes the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine.
Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed the release of the special report investigating violations in Ukraine, which thoroughly documented systematic Russian drone attacks on civilians in the city of Kherson and other settlements on the right bank of the Kherson region.
"This is the first international report to focus on this type of Russia's systematic and inhumane terror against people in Kherson, which has been ongoing for a long time," Sybiha emphasized.
What the UN report says
According to Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the UN report highlights serious violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law by Russia, which continues to commit war crimes, crimes against humanity, and deliberate acts of terror against Ukrainian civilians.
Documented evidence confirms that Russia deliberately targeted civilian infrastructure, in direct violation of the principles of distinction and proportionality set out in the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols.
The Commission collected extensive testimonies from victims and witnesses, along with a detailed analysis of video evidence and documents, providing a clear picture of the scale of these crimes and the direct responsibility of Russia's military and political leadership.
"The results of the objective, impartial, and professional work of the UN Independent International Commission are essential to ensuring that all those responsible for Russian aggression and related atrocities are held accountable, that compensation for affected Ukrainians," the Ministry notes.
Sybiha emphasized that all documented cases should be used as evidence to bring the perpetrators to justice.
"Every criminal who drops explosives on ordinary people or targets civilians in other ways must face justice," he added.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on the international community to increase pressure on Russia to force it to stop crimes against civilians.
Attacks on Kherson and the region
The Russian army regularly uses drones to attack civilian infrastructure and transportation, particularly in the frontline areas of Kherson and the region.
It should be noted that the left-bank part of the Kherson region remains under Russian occupation, while the Russian army strikes Kherson and other settlements on the right bank of the Dnipro almost daily.
Earlier today, the Russian forces attacked the Kherson region, wounding two people, one of them in serious condition.
Before that, the Russian army hit the region on May 23. At the time, it was reported that 10 civilians were injured and three were killed.
