Ukrainian courts sentenced 26 people for war crimes in Ukraine

Since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion, Ukrainian courts have convicted 26 people accused of war crimes and brought charges against around 300 people.Ukrainian prosecutor Miroslava Krasnoborova, Ukraine’s representative to Eurojust and co-ordinator for war crimes cases in The Hague, told a briefing on Thursday about efforts to bring those suspected of involvement to justice in large-scale war crimes in Ukraine.According to Krasnoborova, the convictions were for crimes such as rape and murder, bombing of residential buildings, mistreatment of civilians and looting.So far, Ukraine has recorded more than 71,000 alleged war crimes since February 24, 2022, she said.“The atrocities and destruction committed by Russia are colossal and endless. Millions of people have been forced out of everything. Massive missile strikes are destroying civilian infrastructure and many have tragically lost their lives,” she said. “This damage cannot be undone, but what we can do is ensure that those responsible are held accountable.”According to her, to date, 276 people have been indicted for war crimes, 99 cases are currently being considered by Ukrainian courts.Dozens of countries and institutions help Ukrainian law enforcement investigate war crimes.This data was made public during a briefing at Eurojust, which has set up a joint investigation team to investigate war crimes in Ukraine with the International Criminal Court (ICC), Lithuania, Poland, l Estonia, Latvia, Slovakia, Romania and Ukraine.