UK to train 90 Ukrainian judges for war crime trials against Russian soldiers

The United Kingdom is training Ukrainian judges, preparing them to carry out war crimes trials against Russian soldiers, Sky News reported.

The first group of judges started training on Dec. 5. They are attending sessions in a secret location, according to the report.

The training is part of a $3 million (2.5 million pounds) program paid for by the U.K. government.

British Attorney General Victoria Prentis told Sky News that perpetrators of atrocities can be prosecuted while the conflict still continues, and the majority of war crimes trials are expected to be carried out in Ukraine, by Ukrainian judges.

“This is very important, obviously because justice is important, but also because I hope that those Russian soldiers and officers who are watching the Ukrainian prosecutions at the moment will realize that they must act in accordance with international law,” Prentis said.

Russian forces have committed 52,825 crimes of aggression and war crimes since the start of the invasion, Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office reported on Dec. 13. Russia’s war against Ukraine has killed at least 443 children and injured 855 since Feb. 24.

Head of the National Police Ihor Klymenko said on Dec. 10 that around 47,000 Russian war crimes were recorded in Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion. The number includes torture, rape, and murder of civilians.