Russia's war crimes in Ukraine undeniable, there can be no impunity – Kallas
These crimes are proven and undeniable, so the EU will act resolutely so that no such crime goes unpunished. This was stated on Tuesday in Strasbourg at a plenary session of the European Parliament, during hearings on the EU's response to Russian war crimes against Ukraine, by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.
“Three years ago yesterday, videos and photos began to emerge showing the bodies of civilians scattered around Yablonska Street in the town of Bucha, Ukraine. Children fleeing with their families, locals shopping for groceries, people trying to get back home on their bicycles. It was once the case, from Bosnia to Sri Lanka, that a single photo or video could expose war time atrocities. In Bucha, the evidence is overwhelming, from photographs to phone records and decoded call signs used by commanders on Russian radio channels. There is no denying it. We know exactly who the perpetrators are. With this technology we have at our fingertips today, impunity for war crimes is frankly impossible,” Kallas noted.
She noted that Russian troops committed so many crimes against the civilian population of Ukraine during the invasion is beyond belief. One of the most serious of these crimes is the forcible displacement and deportation of Ukrainian children. At the same time, children who remained in Ukraine also suffered from Russian invaders.
According to Save the Children, during the war, about four million Ukrainian school-age children faced interruptions in their education. At the same time, about 4,000 educational facilities have been affected, and more than 10% of Ukraine’s entire educational infrastructure has been completely destroyed.
The Russian invaders also carried out attacks on medical facilities, endangering the lives of children, including those with chronic diseases. The birth rate in Ukraine plunged by 30% during the war and is now one of the lowest in the world. Kallas stressed that Russia is not only destroying Ukraine’s present, but is also trying to deny its future.
The EU High Representative noted that the EU is participating in the international coalition to protect Ukrainian children and will do everything to return children to their families in Ukraine. The EU has also imposed sanctions on more than 70 individuals responsible for deportation and forced transfer, as well as for the “re-education” and militarization of Ukrainian children.
“Russia’s campaign against human life and dignity truly knows no limits. We also see this in reports of enforced disappearances, torture, extrajudicial executions, sexual violence against civilian detainees and prisoners of war by Russian armed forces in occupied territories. The EU will continue raising the cases at every opportunity and wherever we can. Because no civilian detainee can be forgotten. We must also continue to advocate for the protection of prisoners of war, and call on Russia to uphold its long-standing international commitments under international humanitarian law,” Kallas stressed.
She specifically emphasized that a just, comprehensive and lasting peace in Ukraine, based on the UN Charter and international law, must include the exchange of prisoners of war and release of all civilian detainees, along with return to Ukraine of forcibly transferred and deported Ukrainian children. Every person who returns must be fully integrated into Ukrainian society, Kallas emphasized.
As Ukrinform reported earlier, the International Summit in Bucha, which took place on March 31, adopted a joint statement on the need to investigate every war crime committed by the Russian Federation, hold the perpetrators accountable, and prevent the repetition of the tragedies that were brought to Ukraine by Russian invaders.
Photo: European Union
