Ukraine calls for accountability for Russian ‘war crimes’

GENEVA (Reuters) – Ukraine’s first deputy foreign minister said on Thursday that Russian troops were carrying out acts tantamount to war crimes in her country and called for perpetrators to be held accountable, while Russia’s envoy denounced Ukraine and the West.

“Recent events clearly point to the fact that the Russian troops fighting in Ukraine carry out the most blatant violations and abuses of human rights, systematically engage in acts that clearly amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity,” Emine Dzhaparova told an urgent debate at the U.N. Human Rights Council.

“We must stand together to ensure accountability for the war criminals spilling the blood of Ukrainian children.” Gennady Gatilov, Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, denounced the “criminal regime in Kyiv” and accused the United States and European Union of supplying lethal weapons, adding: “We do not see any added value in today’s debate.”