Russia Starts Massive Forced Deportation of Ukrainian Citizens from Kherson and Zaporizhzhia Regions

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine strongly condemns the Russian Federation for the deportation of Ukrainian citizens living in the temporarily occupied territories of the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine.

“The Russian occupation administration began massive forced relocation of residents of the left-bank Kherson region, primarily Skadovsk and Kakhovka districts, to the territory of the temporarily occupied Crimea or the Russian Federation. Russia also carries out similar deportations in the Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk, and Donetsk regions, as well as in Crimea,” the diplomats inform.

In addition, against the backdrop of ongoing deportations, alarming reports are circulating about Russian troops mining the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant, the explosion of which could cause a large-scale technological and humanitarian catastrophe.

“Such Russian actions grossly violate international law. According to Article 49 of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, an occupying Power is prohibited from carrying out forced individual or massive resettlement or deportation of protected persons,” the MFA underscores.

While the residents of the temporarily occupied south are deported, the Russian occupiers are looting industrial, infrastructural, cultural, educational and healthcare institutions, as well as private houses and apartments.

Russia’s infliction of large-scale humanitarian suffering on innocent children, women and the elderly is a violation of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, as well as the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine underlines that war crimes and crimes against humanity have no limitation period. All persons in the Russian Federation who are currently committing crimes against the Ukrainian people will inevitably be punished.

“We call on the international community to condemn the Russian Federation for its forced relocation of residents of southern Ukraine, to impose new sanctions on Russia, and to increase military aid to Ukraine for the liberation of its temporarily occupied territories,” the diplomats summed up.

Natalia Tolub