Since Russia’s withdrawal of troops from Kyiv, Ukraine this month, the bodies of over 900 civilians have been discovered around the region. Most were uncovered in Bucha, a city in Kyiv Oblast. About 95 percent of the citizens were found with bullet wounds inflicted at point-blank range, implying that they were executed. The bodies were either left in the streets or dumped into temporary graves.
With much video and photographic evidence circulating, the wrongs of Russia are clear; they have committed a myriad of crimes against humanity against the citizens of Ukraine. In response, the Ukrainian government has requested that the International Criminal Court (ICC) investigate these atrocities.
One Bucha resident detailed the horrors she witnessed as Russian forces invaded her home. “[The citizen] went to get some wood when all of a sudden, they started shooting,” she said. “They hit him a bit above the heel, crushing the bone, and he fell down.”
Since the beginning of the war in February, Russia has overtly violated humanitarian law, and now, many experts are saying that Moscow has committed genocide—which is often categorized as the most serious war crime.
After the civilian casualty statistics were made public, Secretary General of Amnesty International Agnès Callamar stated, “These reports from Bucha are showing a wider pattern of war crimes including extrajudicial executions and torture in other occupied areas of Ukraine. We fear the violence suffered by civilians in Bucha at the hands of Russian soldiers is not unique. These incidents should be investigated as war crimes.”
World leaders such as U.S. President Joe Biden have also begun publicly accusing the Kremlin of genocide, citing the state’s desire to wholly demolish Ukraine and its people.
However, Russia has continued to deny these accusations and commit these heinous acts. In addition, it has turned to repressive tactics such as media manipulation and spreading fake news to conceal the truth from both its citizens and the world.
Popular Russian television host Vladimir Soloviev stated on his show, “[The] war against us has entered a new phase. They’re leading us along the Yugoslavia scenario. Now they’ll cook up the scenario of a Srebrenica. We’ll soon be accused of genocide.”
This narrative has promoted a false and distorted perception of the government within the country, which has clouded Russians’ understanding of the war. They have no escape from this disinformation as it plays out through state-sponsored television and social media.
In addition, the Russian General Prosecutor has publicly warned that those who speak out against the government or spread independent information can be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison. Moscow has instead claimed that the Bucha massacre was fabricated by the Ukrainian government and the West, which has forced citizens to agree and accept this account.
Unfortunately, there will likely be more violence toward civilians in the near future, as Russian forces have continued their offensive in the country. Although various organizations and world leaders have spoken out against Moscow’s crimes, this has done little to protect the innocent.
