US Now Unequivocal: Russia Has Committed War Crimes

The Biden administration on Wednesday made a formal determination that Russian troops have committed war crimes in Ukraine and said it would work with others to prosecute offenders. "Today, I can announce that, based on information currently available, the US government assesses that members of Russia’s forces have committed war crimes in Ukraine," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement released as he was traveling to Brussels with President Biden for an emergency summit of NATO leaders. The assessment was based on a "careful review" of public and intelligence sources since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine last month, he said.

America's top diplomat said the United States would share that information with allies, partners, and international institutions tasked with investigating allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity, reports the AP. "We’ve seen numerous credible reports of indiscriminate attacks and attacks deliberately targeting civilians, as well as other atrocities. Russia’s forces have destroyed apartment buildings, schools, hospitals, critical infrastructure, civilian vehicles, shopping centers, and ambulances, leaving thousands of innocent civilians killed or wounded," Blinken said, citing attacks on the civilian population in the besieged city of Mariupol and elsewhere.

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