Dmitry Rogozin, a Russian official heading the Russian occupation of Zaporizhzhia Oblast, said on June 27 that it is "time to burn everything Ukrainian down to the root" so that "there is no trace left."
Rogozin's comments were the latest in a long series of genocidal comments directed at Ukraine made by Russian officials and propagandists, a trend that has only increased since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The genocidal intent of Russia's aggression toward Ukraine has manifested in war crimes and indiscriminate violence directed at Ukrainian civilians, but also in the denial and distortion of history, attempts to erase Ukrainian culture, and the abduction and deportation of Ukrainian children.
Rogozin, who serves as the "senator" of occupied Zaporizhzhia Oblast, also referenced the need to destroy Ukrainian literature and history in his comments. He previously was the CEO of the state-run space corporation Roscosmos, a deputy prime minister, and the ambassador to NATO.
There can be "no truce" with Ukrainians, Rogozin said, because "any truce, let alone reconciliation, is certain death for our children and grandchildren."
The previous day, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) adopted three resolutions related to Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine. One of the resolutions recognized the genocidal intent in destroying Ukraine's cultural heritage and identity.
The resolution condemned the systematic Russian policy of "Russification" in the occupied territories of Ukraine which started since its first invasion in 2014, including the denial of the Ukrainian language and history.
Russia's full-scale war has resulted in damage to 1,987 cultural facilities as of late April, according to Ukraine's Culture Ministry.
Several top Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, former Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, and chief of the General Staff of the Russian army, Valery Gerasimov, have been issued arrest warrants from the International Criminal Court (ICC) for their roles in alleged crimes committed against Ukraine.
Chris York
(Updated: )
