“The Commission also found that the waves of attacks carried out by the Russian armed forces from 10 October 2022 against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and the use of torture by the Russian authorities could constitute crimes against humanity. “, said Erik Mose, one of the three commissioners in charge of the investigations. Investigators were able to identify “a pattern of widespread illegal detention” in areas controlled by the Russian armed forces, targeting many people, including women and children. In some centers, some people are systematically tortured.
The Commission also attempted to verify whether the bombardment and siege of Mariupol, in the south-east of Ukraine, could constitute a crime against humanity. She concluded that she lacked the elements to reach such a conclusion, not having had access to the Donetsk region, where Mariupol is located, a port city besieged for months by the Russian army before falling into May 2022.