UN-backed inquiry accuses Russia of war crimes in Ukraine

By LORI HINNANT and JAMEY KEATEN
Associated Press

GENEVA (AP) — A U.N.-backed investigation has found that Russian attacks against civilians in Ukraine, including systematic torture and killing in occupied regions, amount to war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity. A report from inquiry released on Thursday represented a highly unusual condemnation of a member of the U.N. Security Council. The sweeping human rights report was released a year to the day after a Russian airstrike on a theater in Mariupol killed hundreds sheltering inside. Among potential crimes against humanity, the report cited attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure that left hundreds of thousands without heat and electricity during the coldest months. It also cited the “systematic and widespread” use of torture across multiple regions under Russian occupation.