Russia detained 800 civilians, executed 77 in Ukraine: UN
A United Nations (UN) monitoring team in Ukraine said on Tuesday that Russia had detained over 800 civilians since the Russia-Ukraine crisis began in February 2022, with almost 77 of them being executed, according to Reuters. The UN mission's report claimed that Ukraine also violated international law by unjustly arresting civilians, but the number is far lower than that of Russia.
Why does this story matter?
Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 over territorial disputes and to prevent it from joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Since the war, Russian forces have allegedly carried out indiscriminate attacks, resulting in thousands of civilian casualties as well as other crimes including torture, sexual violence, and unlawful killings. The Ukrainian Prosecutor's Office had documented 39,347 alleged Russian war crimes by late October.
Ukraine also accused of violations but far less than Russia
Referring to violations during the Ukraine war, the UN report said, "(The UN rights office) identified patterns of conduct which resulted in arbitrary detention, and further human rights violations including torture, ill-treatment, and enforced disappearances." It said Russia detained people in both Ukraine and Russia. The report claimed a greater prevalence of misconduct was attributed to Russian forces as compared to the Ukrainian military.
Anti-war protests in several Russian cities
Last year, several Russian cities witnessed massive anti-war protests in the wake of President Vladimir Putin's announcement of a partial military mobilization and the induction of common people into the operation. Protests erupted in 38 places on September 21 in response to Putin's announcement the same day. According to reports, most of the detentions took place during the rare protests.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine attracts worldwide condemnation
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has drawn worldwide condemnation, including from the United Nations. Several international leaders, including US President Joe Biden, have spoken out against the Russian incursion in Ukraine, calling it a "brutal, needless war." Putin's mercenary organization Wagner recently attempted a "coup" in Moscow, accusing the Defense Ministry of missile attacks on its soldiers and failure in the Ukraine war.
