Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin said on Friday (Feb 23) that his country has launched an investigation into over 122,000 suspected cases of war crimes since the beginning of Russia’s invasion on Feb 24, 2022. Speaking to the news agency Reuters, Prosecutor General Kostin said “We have identified already 511 perpetrators. And we have already 80 convictions in Ukrainian courts.”
Kostin said that the number of suspected war crimes is expected to continue rising. He urged help from the international community in documenting, investigating, and prosecuting war crimes. However, the prosecutor general pointed out that “99-plus per cent of all cases will be investigated and prosecuted in Ukraine.”
Kostin’s remarks came as Ukraine will mark the second anniversary of the Russian offensive on Saturday.
US announces sanctions on over 500 targets in Russia
Meanwhile, the United States President Joe Biden on Friday, announced sanctions on over 500 targets in Russia, vowing sustained pressure to stop President Vladimir Putin’s “war machine.”
The sanctions also seek to impose a cost for the death last week in a Siberian prison of Putin critic Alexei Navalny, with measures taken against three officials. The latest sanctions will notably target the Mir credit card system, set up by Russia to avoid reliance on US-based networks.
In a statement, President Biden said that the sanctions would ensure Putin pays an even steeper price for his aggression abroad and repression at home. “We are also imposing new export restrictions on nearly 100 entities for providing backdoor support for Russia’s war machine,” he added.
On war’s eve, a fresh appeal to West
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for the West to accelerate deliveries of promised air defence systems and fighter jets. “The most important thing is to unblock the sky. Air defence and future jets will help it,” Zelensky told reporters at a press conference in the western city of Lviv. He was speaking alongside Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.
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“What’s important is that all our decisions have to come in time. I think that is the priority,” he added.
Zelensky’s remarks come amid vital US aid to Kyiv being blocked by Congress and Russia getting emboldened by fresh gains in recent weeks.
Since the conflict started, Ukraine has been relying on Western military backing to defend itself against Russian attacks. Military aid worth $60 billion from the US is currently held up in Congress amid domestic political wrangling.
(With inputs from agencies)
