Evidence of Russian War Crimes Grow More Numerous & Serious

   

Russia keeps denying that they are targeting any civilians in Ukraine, much less committed any kind of war crimes.              

However, the evidence of war crimes keeps mounting with each day. Towns that had been occupied by Russian forces, and since liberated by Ukrainian forces, have evidence of mass burials and people shot in the back of the head. There is even video footage accompanying a recent article in the New York Times that shows Russian armored vehicles in Bucha firing upon a bicyclist who did not appear to pose any serious danger to them. And we all surely remember the video clip of that tank that went out of it’s way to run over the car, for no particularly obvious reason. The car did not appear to be posing any kind of a serious threat.              

Ukrainian President gave a speech before the United Nations yesterday, asking what good the organization is, if the allow crimes like these to continue. He said that the war crimes being committed in Ukraine presently are the most serious war crimes in Europe since the end of World War II. Zelensky insisted that “accountability must be inevitable” for Russia, and that the United Nations had a moral and legal duty to do their part to end the conflict and hold Russia accountable. He showed video of some of the horrors in Bucha, including bodies in mass graves and lining the streets of the town, including children. He reminded everyone that this was just one town, which Ukrainian forces managed to take back, and we just do not know what is happening in those regions still controlled by Russian invasion forces.              

In answer, however, Russia’s United Nations Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia seemed almost to mock these claims. The town of Busha is the site of recently discovered horrors and evidence of war crimes. Yet Nebenzia suggested that while Russia was in control of the town,  "not a single civilian suffered from any kind of violence." It hardly seems like a serious claim, almost worthy of Trump style dismissals of any and all criticism.     

While it seems clearer and clearer that war crimes were indeed committed by Russians in Ukraine since this invasion began, it nevertheless also must be asked just how, or even if, they will be held legally  accountable. Russia might not seem quite as mighty and all capable as they had seemed just prior to this war, when many people - myself included, admittedly - expected them to just plow through Ukraine. However, actually physically forcing Russian leaders and military personnel to stand trial, to actually see the inside of a court room to stand trial? That would require either Russian cooperation that hardly seems forthcoming or, failing that, some kind of forced abduction. In other words, it just seems very unlikely. Almost impossible, frankly.

Zelenskiy accuses Russia of worst war crimes since WW2 by Michelle Nichols, Humeyra Pamuk and Doina Chiacu, April 5, 2022:  

https://www.reuters.com/world/un-chief-warns-ukraine-war-one-greatest-challenges-international-order-2022-04-05/        

Russian soldiers opened fire on a cyclist in Bucha, new video shows.by Malachy Browne and Dmitriy Khavin, April 5, 2022:  

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/05/world/europe/bucha-shooting-video.html