Ukraine Is Open to Objective Assessment of Actions During the War: Maliar Responded to Amnesty International’s Statement

Ukraine is open to investigation of violations committed during the war both by the Russian troops and by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Defense Hanna Maliar said during her briefing on August 4th in response to the Amnesty International’s report claiming that the Armed Forces of Ukraine were deploying weapons in residential districts. 

"Ukraine is committed to the policy of transparent and objective approach to the legal assessment of actions both by the aggressors and by our military engaged in the defensive operation. Let me remind that Ukraine has been fighting a war since 2014, when Ukraine opted to address the International Criminal Court and accept the ICC jurisdiction within its territory for investigation of war crimes and crimes against humanity. This approach is very different from the policy pursued by Russia, which consistently attempts to hide its crimes from the international community and fails to enforce the decisions passed by the European Court of Human Rights”, she noted.  

Maliar also reminded that Ukrainian law-enforcement authorities previously investigated the crimes committed by the Ukrainian military servicemen in the active combat zones, and the Ukrainian courts found them guilty and passed impartial sentences. Nevertheless, the released report did not take into account a number of factors specific to the Russian war against Ukraine, Maliar stressed.

"The objective assessment is impossible, if these actions are considered out of the existing context. If the international organizations may provide any evidences, our law-enforcement authorities will be willing to investigate them. Nevertheless, it is essential to stress that such studies do not take into account a number of factors, such as the use of very specific settlement seizure and control tactics by Russian troops. As While we  wait for the Russian enemy in the field, as sometimes we are advised to do, the Russians will simply come and seize our homes”, the Deputy Minister of Defence added.  

The Ministry of Defence also stressed that the Armed Forces of Ukraien were conducting defensive operation and deploying the air-defence systems in such a way as to achieve the highest performance of protecting the skies above towns and villages.

According to Maliar, defence forces and local authorities also notify the local population about evacuation: “The defence forces cooperate with the military administrations and local governments and consistently urge the local civilian population to evacuate from the areas adjacent to the active combat zones. All citizens are granted equal rights and opportunities to voluntarily evacuate to the safer districts, however some civilians refuse such offers”.

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