The United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Violations in Ukraine said in its new report that it continues to find numerous pieces of evidence of war crimes committed by the Russian military in Ukraine, including unlawful attacks with explosive weapons, torture, sexual and gender-based violence, and attacks on energy infrastructure.
This is an interim report of the commission. A detailed report on its activities will be presented to the UN General Assembly in October this year and to the UN Human Rights Council in March 2024.
The report also highlights the many documented attacks on civilian infrastructure, which in the vast majority of cases had no military purpose and were therefore not legitimate targets during the hostilities.
These actions by Russia continue to cause harm to the civilian population and medical facilities that enjoy protected status, the document's authors note.
The Commission particularly emphasized the dam breach at the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant, which rendered hundreds of homes uninhabitable.
Particular attention in this report was paid to violations of personal integrity in areas that had been under Russian occupation for a long time, namely in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions.
"The commission's investigations in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia indicate widespread and systematic use of torture by the Russian armed forces against individuals accused of providing information in favor of the Ukrainian armed forces," the report says.
"In some cases, torture was used with such brutality that it resulted in the death of the victim. One victim of electric shock torture stated: "Every time I answered that I didn't know anything or didn't remember anything, they applied electric shocks to me... I don't know how long it lasted. It seemed like an eternity".
The Commission also reported that in the Kherson region, Russian soldiers raped and committed other sexual violence against women aged 19 to 83.
"Often, members of the same family were kept in the next room, so they were forced to listen to the violence," the commission members said.
It is noted that the commission continues to investigate individual situations "related to the alleged transfer of unaccompanied minors to the Russian Federation by the Russian authorities." "The Commission regrets the lack of clarity and transparency regarding information on the full number, circumstances and categories of children removed," the UN added.
The Commission also stated that it is concerned about allegations of genocide in Ukraine and continues its investigations into the matter.
"For example, some statements made by Russian state and other media may constitute the crime of incitement to genocide," the UN explained.
The Commission's latest report to the Human Rights Council follows up on previous reports, including the Conference Room Paper of August 29, 2023, which detailed the results of the investigations.
Background. Earlier it was reported that the UN Commission found no signs of genocide in Ukraine.