The US government believes that Russian forces committed war crimes in Ukraine

*Paromita Das

A US assessment of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine claims that the Russian military committed war crimes in Ukraine after President Vladimir Putin ordered special “military operations” in the neighbouring country.

The US said on Wednesday, March 23 that public information and intelligence it has gathered amount to strong evidence that war crimes have been committed in Ukraine.

“Today, I can announce that, based on information currently available, the US government believes that members of Russia’s forces have committed war crimes in Ukraine,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.

“We’ve seen numerous credible reports of indiscriminate attacks and attacks on civilians, as well as other atrocities,” Blinken said.

According to him, the US assessment that war crimes were committed is “based on a careful review of available information from public and intelligence sources.”

“We are committed to pursuing accountability through all available means, including criminal prosecutions,” he added.

According to the United Nations, the concept of war crimes emerged, particularly at the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth centuries.

The international humanitarian law, also known as the law of armed conflict, was codified at the time.

The Hague Conventions, which were adopted in 1899 and 1907, prohibit warring parties from using specific means and methods of warfare.

War crimes are serious violations of the Geneva Conventions of August 12, 1949. Wilful killing, torture, or inhuman treatment, wilfully causing great suffering, extensive destruction, and appropriation of property are all examples of violations.

The Mariupol theater bombing has sparked outrage.

The assessment was made as Russian forces continued to bombard the southern Ukrainian city of Mariupol.

Russian forces bombed a maternity hospital and a theater where hundreds of civilians had sought refuge a few days ago. The incident sparked worldwide outrage.

Blinken, on the other hand, did not specify which cases the US had concluded amounted to war crimes. However, in his announcement, he mentioned the devastation of Mariupol.

“As of March 22, officials in besieged Mariupol reported that over 2,400 civilians had been killed in that city alone,” he said.

Last week, US Vice President Joe Biden called Putin a “war criminal” for attacking Ukraine.