A Finnish court began trial on Dec. 5 for Yan Petrovsky, a Russian neo-Nazi mercenary, for war crimes he allegedly committed while leading a Russian neo-Nazi unit in eastern Ukraine between 2014 and 2015.
Key developments on Dec. 5: * Ukrainian forces regain control of Novyi Komar village in Donetsk Oblast * At least 6 Ukrainian mayors held captive by Russia, Zelensky says * Ukrainian forces to receive 30,000 DeepStrike drones in 2025 as part of Zelensky's resilience plan, minister says * 'There will be no Yalta-2
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) charged Russian Colonel-General Yevgeny Nikiforov in absentia for ordering a missile strike on a Chernihiv theater that killed seven people and wounded 200 in August 2023, the SBU announced on Nov. 30.
Russian forces are suspected of summarily executing Ukrainian prisoners of war (POW) in Russia's Kursk Oblast, Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets reported on Nov. 20.
Pictures shared on the prosecutor's office's Telegram channel show a woman in a pink jacket walking on the outskirts of the village, with a subsequent picture showing her lying on the ground with her face in the mud.
The Kyiv Independent in June identified Mykola Senenko as raping a woman in Kherson Oblast in March 2022.
Chechen dictator Ramzan Kadyrov on Oct. 29 apparently boasted about using Ukrainian prisoners as human shields, claiming there were casualties among the captives after a drone strike on Chechnya.
Russian soldiers in the Donetsk Oblast town of Selydove have likely opened fire against civilians on several occasions, killing at least two women and injuring one person, the regional prosecutor's office said on Oct. 27.
Warning: This article contains graphic photos and descriptions of graphic scenes. A decomposed human hand with the remains of flesh, bleak and brown save for one splash of color — two thin blue-yellow rubber bracelets. The colors of the Ukrainian national flag. The hand was from a body of the hundreds
According to Dmytro Lubinets, the actual number of such cases is likely much higher since it is difficult to document Russian war crimes without supporting evidence such as videos of the executions.
The following opinion piece accompanies the Kyiv Independent's War Crimes Investigations Unit's newly released documentary, "Shadows Across the River." Watch the documentary by clicking here. “Let Russia retain control over occupied Ukrainian territories to finally freeze this war!” This refrain, repeated in media and political discourse worldwide, has become a
"The killing of prisoners of war is a gross violation of the Geneva Conventions and an international crime. A criminal case has been opened over the violation of the laws and customs of war combined with premeditated murder," Kostin posted on X.
The shootings are said to have occurred on Oct. 10, Deepstate reported, citing sources in Ukraine's First Tank Brigade.
Viktoria Roshchyna, a Ukrainian journalist who died in Russian captivity, was held in Russian detention centers where torture is used against the prisoners, the Media Initiative for Human Rights said on Oct. 11.
Referring to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine simply as “Putin’s war” is quite common, but this framing is misleading. It oversimplifies the invasion, affects allies’ perceptions, and fuels Russian propaganda. By focusing solely on the actions of Russian President Vladimir Putin, blame for this brutal aggression is shifted away
Editor’s note: Some of the Kherson locals interviewed for this story refused to be identified by last name due to fear for their safety. KHERSON – On a warm September evening, Olha Chernyshova’s day took a grim turn when she was returning home from work in downtown Kherson. Stepping
Russian forces appear to have shot 16 Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) in Donetsk Oblast, the largest recorded case of mass execution of surrendered soldiers on the battlefield, Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office said on Oct. 1.
One suspect was identified by the Kyiv Independent's War Crimes Investigations Unit in the documentary "Uprooted."
The documentary “Russians at War” has sparked controversy since its debut on the festival circuit, with many accusing it of whitewashing Russian soldiers and their crimes in Ukraine. Canadian-Russian director Anastasia Trofimova has defended the film, calling it “anti-war.” After facing backlash, the Toronto International Film Festival pulled screenings of
Russia has committed 137,000 war crimes in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky said at the United for Justice conference in Kyiv on Sept. 11.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect Canadian broadcaster TVO's statement. TVO has withdrawn support from the documentary "Russians at War" following protests from the Ukranian community. Hot Docs contacted the Kyiv Independent on Sept. 11 to clarify that the 85,000 Canadian dollars was the total sum
Last week, Ukraine’s Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets announced that Russian prisoners of war (POWs) would no longer be able to make phone calls to relatives. They are still allowed to communicate through letters, meeting Geneva Convention requirements, he noted. The decision came after recent increases in reports of violations of
A film about Russian soldiers taking part in the war against Ukraine was recently presented at the Venice Film Festival. The film portrays ordinary people who care about their families, joke, and have doubts, fears, and dreams. Some fight to avenge a fallen comrade, some just to make money, while
Ukrainian authorities on Sept. 10 announced war crime charges in absentia against Russian Lieutenant General Sergey Kobylash over a deadly strike against the Ohkmadyt children's hospital in Kyiv.
Russian-Canadian filmmaker Anastasia Trofimova has admitted to entering Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories without official permits while making her controversial documentary "Russians at War."
Controversy over the film only grew louder with the revelation by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) that the film is set to be screened at the Toronto International Film Festival, and has previously received Canadian government funding.
The footage purportedly shows a Russian soldier who asks a Ukrainian soldier if he wants to "say the last word, pray before dying," and then shoots him with a rifle three times.
Russian forces seem to have summarily executed a group of surrendering Ukrainian soldiers near Pokrovsk in late August, CNN reported on Sept. 6, publishing an exclusive video.
Russian forces have damaged several ancient burial mounds on the front line in southern Ukraine, potentially violating the Hague and Geneva Conventions, according to research from the Ukraine Conflict Observatory published on Sept. 4.
As the new school year began in Ukraine, Russia intensified its attacks on the country’s educational facilities, further disrupting a study process already severely impacted by the full-scale war and sowing anxiety among students and their families. In just three days, Russian strikes damaged at least 12 educational institutions,
At the opening of an art exhibition in Kharkiv’s Yermoliv Center on Aug. 29, 18-year-old artist Veronika Kozhushko, also known as Nika, could be seen jumping on a small trampoline before she landed on her feet with a breathless smile. The following day, Russia killed her. Russia launched glide
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