Russia Committed 137,000 War Crimes Against Ukraine, Says Zelenskyy

Russian military forces have committed 137,000 war crimes in Ukraine, stated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the United for Justice conference, which focused on attacks on civilian infrastructure.

"As of today, there are at least 137,000 reasons for us to continue this work and see it through to the end. This figure—137,000—represents the number of war crimes committed by Russia to date. These are crimes against peace and humanity, against our state, and against our people. It means that the number of verdicts must be no less," the President said in his opening speech.

In December 2023, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko reported that since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, over 102,000 war crimes committed by Russian military forces had been recorded.

"Every nation understands the cost of justice. In every state that truly respects human life and international law, there simply cannot be a lack of justice. I emphasize that in every state, regardless of how its national legislation is written, which international treaties it has ratified, or whether the Rome Statute is in force in that particular country, justice must prevail," Zelenskyy emphasized.

Russia has been accused of committing war crimes in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion in 2022. These accusations include deliberate targeting of civilians, civilian infrastructure and cultural heritage sites, deportation of children and executing prisoners of war.