A Trail of Death and Destruction: Russian War Crimes, Human Right Violations and the Evolving Needs in Ukraine

Since the beginning of the full-scale military invasion of Ukraine on February 24, the Russian Federation has continuously and systemically violated international law and human rights. Shelling and aerial bombing of civilian targets, using banned ammunition such as cluster bombs,

assaults on evacuation convoys, medical institutions, and medical vehicles – the list of violations is long and growing. Occupation, captivity, arbitrary killings, systemic rape, torture, shelling, and bombing have killed and injured thousands and traumatized millions.

Moreover, it has caused heavy damage to civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, administrative buildings, bridges, and private houses. 14 million people have been forced to flee their homes, with 8 million internally displaced persons and 6,7 million seeking refuge abroad.

The Ukrainian charitable organization, Vostok-SOS, and the German NGO DRA conducted a monitoring mission between May 3 and 12, 2022. An international team with members from Ukraine, Germany, France, and the Czech Republic including a member from the German/Swiss Human Rights Organisation Libereco Partnership for Human Rights monitored human rights violations, violations of international law, and consequent local humanitarian problems and needs in the Chernihiv, Kyiv, and Sumy regions. Russian armed forces withdrew from these regions in late March 2022, leaving a trail of death and destruction. Consequently, inhabitants and local authorities are facing challenges, including a dire humanitarian situation, the need to reconstruct thousands of homes and significant infrastructure, and recovery. The mission also monitored the situation with internally displaced people (IDPs) in the Zakarpattia region, where high numbers of IDPs are straining local capacities and infrastructure.

You can find full report on the results of the monitoring mission by this link.