Explaining complex things in simple words: russian terrorism, attacks on vulnerable populations, illegal recruting on the Ukrainian occupied territories
The Center for Strategic Communication and Information Security pursues efforts to provide a brief explanation to foreign audiences on the current topics of particular interest as regards Ukraine.
RUSSIAN TERRORISM
On April 27, two Ukrainian citizens were killed in Murnau am Staffelsee (Germany), both of them were military personnel undergoing medical rehabilitation in Germany.
The murderer was arrested, he turned out to be a citizen of the Russian Federation, who openly declared racist views and behaved aggressively towards Ukrainians.
The killer took advantage of the fact that the Ukrainian veterans were wounded and could not properly fight back the knife-wielding attacker.
This murder has a clear political motivation: hatred for Ukrainians, in particular, for defenders of Russian armed aggression.
Unfortunately, this is not the first case of Russian attacks on Ukrainians abroad. Under the influence of Kremlin propaganda Russian community representatives often behave aggressively and pose a real threat to security and public order in their host countries.
We are grateful to the German law enforcement officers for the prompt arrest of the criminal.
At the same time, we draw attention to the fact that this murder is only an external symptom of a much bigger problem of the world perception of a large part of Russian citizens, including those living abroad, distorted by Russian propaganda.
To prevent such Russian misanthropic terror manifestations, foreign governments should develop preventive measures similar to those used to counter jihadist movements.
ATTACKS ON VULNERABLE POPULATIONS
On April 27, the Russians launched a missile attack on a psychiatric hospital in Kharkiv. The hospital building was damaged; a 53-year-old woman was
Patients and medical staff were in the hospital during the attack. So, the Russian army deliberately committed another war crime.
Attacks on Ukrainian vulnerable populations are not an accident, but a Russian's purposeful tactic aimed at genocide of Ukrainians.
Similar attacks were:
March 1, 2022, nursing home in Kreminna (Luhansk region). 56 people were killed; another 15 were kidnapped by the Russians and taken to the occupied territory in Svatove;
March 11, 2022, psycho-neurological boarding school in Oskol (Kharkiv region). There were no victims; 330 patients (mostly elderly and disabled) were in shelter;
September 7, 2022, psychiatric hospital in Kramatorsk (Donetsk region). There were no victims, but the building was significantly damaged;
September 17, 2022, village Strilecha (Kharkiv region), four doctors were killed, and two patients were injured during evacuation of psychiatric hospital patients;
April 3, 2023, psychiatric hospital in Stepanivka (Kherson region).
Fortunately, there were no victims.
This is far from a complete list of Russia's war crimes. Hospitals, maternity homes, and sanatoriums have been shelled systematically for more than two years of full-scale war.
We call on the international community to react to the criminal actions of the Russian Federation, which is following shameful Nazi practices.
ILLEGAL RECRUITING ON THE UKRAINIAN OCCUPIED TERRITORIES
Russian invaders start conscription of young people on the occupied territories of Zaporizhzhia region
The occupied territories residents recruiting in the occupying country army is a gross violation of international humanitarian law.
By its actions, the occupation administration denied its own promises that TOT residents would not be conscripted for at least 5 years.
Russia seeks to fight against Ukraine with the hands of Ukrainians themselves, to pit compatriots, relatives, and family members against each other.
The invader confirmed that he considers the occupied territories as a source of "cannon fodder". That is why under no circumstances can we agree to the legalization of the occupation and the "freezing" of the conflict.
Ukrainian youth on the TOT must try with all their might to avoid mobilization in the armed forces of the aggressor state. Forcible conscription is a crime of the occupier, not the occupied. At the same time, it is worth remembering that participation in hostilities against one's own country is subject to criminal liability.
Center for Strategic Communication and Information Securit.