U.N. report says Russia is targeting and torturing Ukrainian civilians
March 15 (UPI) -- The United Nations on Friday said a report found new evidence that Russia violated human rights and international humanitarian law in its invasion of Ukraine.
The report by the U.N.'s Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine released Friday said that Russian authorities committed the violations and corresponding war crimes in areas under their control in Ukraine, citing use of explosives in civilian areas and torture against civilians.
It said satellite imagery showed "indication of widespread destruction" throughout the city of Mariupol during a Russian siege at the start of the invasion, during which residents "describe unbearable suffering endured during relentless shelling and aerial bombardments which caused large-scale death, injury, and destruction."
At least 58 medical infrastructure buildings and 11 power stations were damaged or destroyed during the attack on Mariupol.
The Commission also interviewed 50 women and 33 men who had survived the 2022 siege of Mariupol, who described emerging from shelter to find "dead bodies strewn on the streets and in the rubble of their homes."
It added that recent "indiscriminate attacks violating international humanitarian law committed by Russian armed forces" resulted in civilian casualties as well as destruction and damage to hospitals, cultural property and other civilian objects.
"We are concerned at the scale, continuation and gravity of violations and crimes that the commission has investigated and the impact on victims and the affected communities," said Erik Mose, chair of the independent commission.
Additionally, the report found new evidence that strengthened findings in a September report that use of torture by Russian forces was "widespread and systemic."
Friday's report reinforced the previous finding that torture is systemically used, including in Russian-administered detention facilities in occupied parts of Ukraine and Russia.
"Russian authorities have tortured civilians they suspected of cooperating with Ukrainian armed forces, to extract information," the Commission said in its report. "In the case of prisoners of war, perpetrators used torture in addition to punish and intimidate."
