Russia's war crimes in Ukraine: OSCE report could be used in tribunal

That's according to a statement posted on the ministry's website, Ukrinform reports.

"The findings of the Report clearly testify to the fact that Russia's violations are on a scale that the international community has not seen in Europe in decades and that urgent action is needed to stop the aggressor-state. The recognition in the Report that certain parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions have also been occupied by Russia since 2014 is of crucial importance," the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said.

The ministry said it viewed the OSCE Moscow Mechanism Report as an important contribution to the international community's efforts to prevent impunity and ensure justice by holding accountable all masterminds and perpetrators of the crimes of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, war crimes, crimes against humanity and other violations of international humanitarian and human rights law.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry also drew separate attention to the Mission's conclusion about the need for a serious international enquiry, on the spot, to investigate summary executions of a large number of civilians during the Russian occupation of villages in the proximity of Kyiv, in particular Bucha, pointing to war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Russia's armed formations.

"The Mission found clear patterns of IHL violations by the Russian forces on many of the issues investigated. It is not conceivable that so many civilians would have been killed and injured and so many civilian objects, including houses, hospitals, cultural property, schools, multi-story residential buildings, administrative buildings, penitentiary institutions, police stations, water stations and electricity systems would have been damaged or destroyed if Russia had respected its IHL obligations in terms of distinction, proportionality and precautions in conducting hostilities in Ukraine. The conduct of the siege of Mariupol is an extreme example," Ukrainian diplomats cited the report.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said that the information documented in the Report could be of use for national, regional or international courts or tribunals that have or will have future jurisdiction over Russia's war crimes and its current leadership.

On March 3, 2022, 45 member states of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), including Ukraine, invoked the OSCE Moscow Mechanism regarding the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

According to the decision of the OSCE participating States, the Moscow Mechanism is set "to address the human rights and humanitarian impacts of the Russian Federation's invasion and acts of war, supported by Belarus, on the people of Ukraine, within Ukraine's internationally recognized borders and territorial waters."

The mission of experts, established under the Moscow Mechanism, began its work on March 15, 2022.