UN commission says evidence insufficient to declare Russian actions in Ukraine as genocide

The head of the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, Erik Møse, said at a press conference in Kyiv that the body has not yet come to the conclusion that Russia is committing genocide against Ukraine, Radio Liberty writes.

"Now we do not have sufficient available evidence that would meet the legal qualifications provided for by the Genocide Convention," said the head of the commission.

He assured that the investigation in Ukraine will continue. According to him, earlier the commission already noted that "there were certain statements in the Russian mass media that could possibly be related to the issue of incitement to genocide."

"This is one line that we follow, and we will consider it. But there are no conclusions yet," Møse said, adding that the commission found "a large number of war crimes" such as torture and attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure since October 2022.

At the same time, he said, the body does not know "whether it should be considered as crimes against humanity."

"We have determined that there are indications that this may be a crime against humanity. Therefore, I think it is useful to look at everything in context," he concluded.

In late March and early April 2022, the Ukrainian military liberated the Kyiv Oblast from the Russian invasion forces. The bodies of killed civilians were found on the streets of liberated cities, particularly in Bucha.

According to the Office of the Prosecutor General, since February 24, 7,938 civilians have died in Ukraine, of which 430 are children. 10,897 civilians were wounded, according to official data. As of October 21, 368 cases of torture by the Russians were investigated.

The Prosecutor General's Office established 9,400 episodes of abduction of children from Ukraine to Russia.