UN commission labels Russian forced displacement as crime against humanity
The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, in its latest update to the Human Rights Council, has stated that Russian drones are striking civilians and destroying infrastructure, rendering frontline communities in Ukraine uninhabitable.
Russian armed forces have been striking civilians and various civilian infrastructure using short-range unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in settlements located along the right bank of the Dnipro River over a distance of more than 300 kilometers.
In May of this year, the Commission concluded that drone attacks recorded in the Kherson region were large-scale and systematic and thus qualified as crimes against humanity in the form of murder. The evidence collected confirms that similar strikes were carried out against civilians and civilian infrastructure in the Dnipropetrovsk and Mykolaiv regions.
The circumstances of the attacks in the three regions indicated the intent of the perpetrators to kill, maim and destroy. The Russian armed forces are carrying out these attacks from positions on the left bank of the Dnieper River, using drones equipped with real-time surveillance and tracking systems. These drones have often pursued their victims over long distances and dropped explosive devices on them, resulting in deaths and injuries. In addition, there have been reports of strikes on ambulances and other emergency services, preventing them from reaching their destinations.
The attacks have had a devastating impact on the civilian population of the affected areas. They have caused significant destruction and have rendered entire settlements uninhabitable. Essential services and shops have been disrupted. The terror has forced thousands of people to flee their homes.
Russian Telegram channels, run by the perpetrators of the attacks or individuals associated with Russian drone units, have shared hundreds of videos depicting the killing or wounding of civilians, which amounts to a war crime of outrages upon human dignity. These channels have also posted threatening messages announcing new attacks and urging people to leave their homes.
The Commission has assessed that the conduct of the Russian armed forces may amount to a crime against humanity in the form of forced displacement of the population. The Commission intends to return to this issue in its report to the General Assembly in October this year.
At the same time, the Commission has been unable to complete its investigation into the Russian authorities’ allegations of alleged drone attacks by Ukrainian armed forces due to the lack of access to the relevant areas, the risks to the safety of witnesses, and the lack of a response from the Russian Federation to the Commission’s requests.
In addition, the Commission continues to investigate the practice of deportation and displacement of adult civilians from areas of Zaporizhia region under Russian control. The investigation into short-range drone attacks, as well as deportations and displacements, indicates coordinated and organized actions by the Russian authorities aimed at further seizing territory and strengthening their positions in the lands under their control in Ukraine, while forcing the local population to flee.
