Ukrainian defense minister calls for help in prosecuting Russian war crimes

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Ukrainian Defense Minister Reznikov: punish perpetrators and commanders

Photo: Martin Sylvest / dpa

Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov has called on the US and other Western countries to help his country prosecute Russian war crimes.

Ukraine needs military law experts and war crimes specialists to punish Russian attackers, Reznikov wrote on Facebook.

According to the defense minister, he sent a corresponding request via the Foreign Ministry in Kyiv to the Ukraine contact group, which includes Germany and Great Britain in addition to the USA.

An international coalition must be formed to prosecute the bloody deeds.

"Track down anyone involved in barbaric murder and torture"

Resnikov referred in particular to the fate of Ukrainian prisoners of war, who were killed and tortured en masse in Russian custody.

"I have no doubt that after Ukraine's victory in this war, one way or another we will track down everyone involved in the barbaric killings and torture," Reznikov said.

Not only should the perpetrators themselves be punished, but also those who gave orders and those who justified such crimes.

He cited the Nuremberg war crimes trials against National Socialists after the Second World War as a model.

Resnikov also called again for independent international experts to investigate the death of around 50 Ukrainian prisoners of war in Olenivka prison near Donetsk at the end of July.

It is also the duty of the United Nations to urge Russia to allow Red Cross officials access to the remaining prisoners.

The minister accused Russia of being responsible for the mass murder.

Russia, on the other hand, accuses Kiev's troops of shelling the prison camp.

Reports of war crimes began shortly after the Russian invasion in February.

The bodies of civilians were found in the streets of Bucha, for example.

There were also numerous attacks on theatres, schools and hospitals.

The International Criminal Court based in The Hague reacted unusually quickly, initiated investigations at the beginning of March and sent the largest team of experts to date to the war zone.

At a conference in The Hague in July, western states pledged to make more money and experts available and to work more closely together on investigations.

asa/dpa