This month, 1,000 people chose to support the Kyiv Independent. Can we count on you, too?
Become a member
Skip to content
Edit post

Guardian: Russia accused of 'deliberate' starvation tactics in Mariupol in submission to ICC

by Kateryna Denisova and The Kyiv Independent news desk June 13, 2024 10:45 AM 3 min read
People walk down an avenue of Mariupol on April 12, 2022 as Russian troops intensified a campaign to take the strategic port city. (Alexander Nemenov/AFP via Getty Images)
This audio is created with AI assistance

Russia used a "deliberate pattern" of starvation tactics during its three-month siege of the city of Mariupol, Donetsk Oblast, in early 2022, which could amount to war crime, according to a lawyers' analysis submitted to the International Criminal Court (ICC), the Guardian reported on June 13.

The report, submitted to the ICC by Global Rights Compliance lawyers working jointly with the Ukrainian government, says that Russia and its leaders intended to kill and harm large number of civilians.

The city came under siege by Russian forces between February and May 2022, leaving thousands dead and reducing Mariupol to rubble. According to authorities' rough estimates, at least 25,000 people could have been killed during the siege of Mariupol. The exact number remains unknown and could be much higher.

Catriona Murdoch, a partner at Global Rights Compliance, said that the purpose of the research was to "to see if there was a broader narrative" that the Russian military and its leadership deliberately denied food and other necessary services for life.

12 never-before-seen photos from Azovstal defense
The defense of the Azovstal steel plant, Ukraine’s last stronghold during the Russian siege of Mariupol in the spring of 2022, remains one of the most heroic operations carried out by the Ukrainian soldiers to date. The plant was under constant Russian bombardment for nearly two months, and those s…

Lawyers concluded that there were four phases to the Russian assault in Mariupol, Murdoch said, including attacks on civilian infrastructure, cutting out the supply of electricity, heating and water, refusal of humanitarian evacuation, and strikes on critical infrastructure.

"Finally, in phase four, Russia engaged in strategic attacks to destroy or capture any remaining infrastructure," she said

The phased attacks on the city demonstrated that Russia planned to capture Mariupol without mercy for its civilian population, according to Murdoch.

Given the importance of Mariupol and the centralization of decision-making in Russia, responsibility for the deaths of thousands of civilians lies upon the country's leadership, she said.

"(Russian President) Vladimir Putin is to blame, and so are echelons of the Russian military leadership," Murdoch added.

The ICC issued arrest warrants on March 17, 2023, for Putin and Russian Children's Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova for the forced deportations of thousands of Ukrainian children to Russia.

The court also issued arrest warrants for two Russian military commanders a year later in March for carrying out strikes on Ukrainian electricity infrastructure during the winter of 2022–2023.

Lieutenant General Sergei Kobylash and Admiral Viktor Sokolov "are each allegedly responsible" for a number of war crimes, including "directing attacks at civilian sites," the ICC said.

Human rights groups call on ICC to investigate prominent Russian propagandists
The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), the Center for Civil Liberties (CCL), and the Kharkiv Human Rights Group have jointly submitted a report to the International Criminal Court (ICC) detailing hate crimes perpetrated by Russian propagandists against Ukrainians.
Let’s see how far we can go?
We’ve been amazed by your support. We’ve reached our initial goal of finding 1,000 new paying members. We still have till the end of our birthday campaign — with more support, we can do even more good journalism. Over 13,000 people are standing behind us. Can we count on you, too?
Show us support this birthday month
Become a member
visa masterCard americanExpress

News Feed

1:50 PM  (Updated: )

Reuters reports Assad may have died in plane crash, later removes report.

Reuters on Dec. 8 reported, citing its Syrian sources that "there was a very high probability that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad may have been killed in a plane crash" as he was fleeing Damascus following its capture by rebels. Reuters later deleted the information from its reporting.
11:50 PM

US announces $988 million military aid package for Ukraine.

The latest aid package will be pulled through the remaining $2 billion in funding from the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) — a Pentagon-led program for supplying arms to Ukraine through contracts with U.S. defense companies.
MORE NEWS

Editors' Picks

Enter your email to subscribe
Please, enter correct email address
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required

Subscribe

* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Explaining Ukraine with Kate Tsurkan
* indicates required
Successfuly subscribed
Thank you for signing up for this newsletter. We’ve sent you a confirmation email.