5Overview New evidence of Russian war crimes continues to emerge

Security camera footage from a car dealership on the outskirts of Kiev shows once again Russian soldiers killing innocent civilians. The United Nations said Thursday that the bodies of 1,000 civilians killed in the Kiev region have been found. The UN Human Rights Council approved an investigation into Russia’s alleged crimes.

BBC and CNN It released footage from March 16 showing Russian soldiers shooting two unarmed civilians in Kiev on Thursday. CNN verified the images and identified the victims.

One of the dead was the owner of a car shop that was looted by five Russian soldiers. The second man was a 68-year-old security guard from the company.

Surveillance footage first shows how the Ukrainians approached the Russians. At that moment, the group of soldiers in the car workshop of the owner of the car exploded, raising his hands in the air. The soldiers search for the two men, then the two casually walk away after a conversation.

Then the Russian soldiers shoot the men in the back and they fall onto the street. A few minutes later, the guard is seen standing up and going to a safe place. He later died of his injuries.

At least 1,000 civilians killed in and around Kiev

At least 1,000 dead bodies of civilians have been found in the Kiev region in recent weeks. This was announced by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on Thursday. According to him, evidence is growing that Russian troops have committed war crimes in Ukraine.

“It is shocking to see the magnitude of these unlawful killings, including the extrajudicial killings that took place north of Kiev,” Bachelet said in a video address to the UN Human Rights Council.

“We have information on 300 such murders, but that number will increase as more evidence comes to light. Civilians were killed while crossing the street or leaving their shelters in search of food and medicine. Others were killed in their cars. escape.”

The senior UN human rights official added that much of the exploratory investigation pointed to war crimes committed by Russian forces against the Ukrainian people.

First Russian soldier to be tried

It is the first time that a war crime has been prosecuted in Ukraine. A 21-year-old Russian sergeant is the first member of the Russian armed forces to face charges since the invasion. Ukraine’s attorney general announced this in a letter on Wednesday. New York TimesI

The man is suspected of shooting an unarmed civilian on a bicycle on February 28, four days after the Russian invasion. He left the 62-year-old victim dead by the roadside.

The United Nations Human Rights Council has agreed to investigate crimes allegedly committed by the Russian military in Ukraine. A large majority voted in favor of a proposal from Ukraine to investigate events in Kiev and other regions in February and March.

The United Nations Human Rights Council, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, is made up of representatives from 47 states. China and Eritrea voted against the proposal. In addition, there were twelve abstentions. Russia was removed from the council, after which the country canceled its membership.

Finland on its way to NATO membership

Thursday’s invasion of Ukraine brought Finland one step closer to NATO membership. Finnish President Sauli Niinistö and Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin confirmed their country’s membership in the alliance on Thursday. Finns are expected to apply for membership on Saturday.

“NATO membership will strengthen Finland’s security,” the president and prime minister said in a joint statement. They also write there that their country must apply “immediately”. “We hope that in the coming days the steps necessary to make this decision will be taken quickly.”

Since the war in Ukraine, Finland has increasingly called on the country to join NATO to protect the country from the Russian threat. Finland shares a 1,300 kilometer border with Russia. “The war in Ukraine has affected our security, but there is no imminent threat,” Finnish leaders said.