US: Russian troops have committed war crimes in Ukraine
Saul Loeb/Pool via AP
Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a news conference March 17, 2022, at the State Department in Washington.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration on Wednesday made a formal determination that Russian troops have committed war crimes in Ukraine and said it would work with others to prosecute offenders, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.
“Today, I can announce that, based on information currently available, the U.S. government assesses that members of Russia’s forces have committed war crimes in Ukraine,” Blinken said in a statement released as he was traveling to Brussels with President Joe Biden for an emergency summit of NATO leaders.
The assessment was based on a “careful review” of public and intelligence sources since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine last month, he said.
America’s top diplomat said the United States would share that information with allies, partners and international institutions tasked with investigating allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
“We’ve seen numerous credible reports of indiscriminate attacks and attacks deliberately targeting civilians, as well as other atrocities. Russia’s forces have destroyed apartment buildings, schools, hospitals, critical infrastructure, civilian vehicles, shopping centers, and ambulances, leaving thousands of innocent civilians killed or wounded,” Blinken said said.
He cited attacks on the civilian population in the besieged city of Mariupol and elsewhere.
Neither Russia nor the U.S. recognizes the authority of the International Criminal Court at The Hague, presenting obvious difficulties for seeking accountability for war crimes committed in Ukraine.
The U.S. could still assist a prosecution before the court, which earlier opened an investigation into atrocities committed in Ukraine, by helping to gather evidence against Russian forces in Ukraine, using some of the vast abilities it has deployed to track and monitor what has been happening in the conflict.
The U.S. could also provide support and backing to a commission of inquiry established by the U.N. Human Rights Council. Full story here:
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A month in, Ukraine fights on, makes Moscow pay a high priceBernat Armangue
Relatives and friends mourn at the funeral of senior police sergeant Roman Rushchyshyn in the village of Soposhyn, outskirts of Lviv, western Ukraine, Thursday, March 10, 2022, in Lviv. Rushchyshyn, a member of the Lviv Special Police Patrol Battalion, was killed in the Luhansk Region. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
This photo gallery includes graphic images.
Bernat ArmangueRelatives and friends mourn at the funeral of senior police sergeant Roman Rushchyshyn in the village of Soposhyn, outskirts of Lviv, western Ukraine, Thursday, March 10, 2022, in Lviv. Rushchyshyn, a member of the Lviv Special Police Patrol Battalion, was killed in the Luhansk Region. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
This photo gallery includes graphic images.
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A month in, Ukraine fights on, makes Moscow pay a high priceVadim Ghirda
A woman and child peer out of the window of a bus as they leave Sievierodonetsk, the Luhansk region, eastern Ukraine, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
Vadim GhirdaA woman and child peer out of the window of a bus as they leave Sievierodonetsk, the Luhansk region, eastern Ukraine, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
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A month in, Ukraine fights on, makes Moscow pay a high priceEmilio Morenatti
An oncology patient rests next to his mother, in a basement used as a bomb shelter, while the sirens sounds announcing new attacks, at the Okhmadet children's hospital in central Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, Feb. 28, 2022. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
Emilio MorenattiAn oncology patient rests next to his mother, in a basement used as a bomb shelter, while the sirens sounds announcing new attacks, at the Okhmadet children's hospital in central Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, Feb. 28, 2022. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
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A month in, Ukraine fights on, makes Moscow pay a high priceEmilio Morenatti
A girl and her brother sit on a train bound for Lviv at the Kyiv station, Ukraine, Thursday, March 3, 2022. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
Emilio MorenattiA girl and her brother sit on a train bound for Lviv at the Kyiv station, Ukraine, Thursday, March 3, 2022. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
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A month in, Ukraine fights on, makes Moscow pay a high priceBernat Armangue
Ukrainian volunteers sort donated foods for later distribution to the local population while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appears on television in Lviv, western Ukraine, Wednesday, March 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Bernat ArmangueUkrainian volunteers sort donated foods for later distribution to the local population while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appears on television in Lviv, western Ukraine, Wednesday, March 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
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A month in, Ukraine fights on, makes Moscow pay a high priceEmilio Morenatti
Natali Sevriukova reacts next to her house following a rocket attack in the city of Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, Feb. 25, 2022. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
Emilio MorenattiNatali Sevriukova reacts next to her house following a rocket attack in the city of Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, Feb. 25, 2022. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
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A month in, Ukraine fights on, makes Moscow pay a high priceEfrem Lukatsky
EDS NOTE: GRAPHIC CONTENT - Morgue workers look at the body of a Ukraine's territorial defense forces volunteer at a hospital in Brovary, outside Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, March 1, 2022. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
Efrem LukatskyEDS NOTE: GRAPHIC CONTENT - Morgue workers look at the body of a Ukraine's territorial defense forces volunteer at a hospital in Brovary, outside Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, March 1, 2022. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
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A month in, Ukraine fights on, makes Moscow pay a high priceEvgeniy Maloletka
The lifeless body of a girl killed during the shelling of a residential area lies on a medical cart at the city hospital of Mariupol, eastern Ukraine, Sunday, Feb. 27, 2022. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
Evgeniy MaloletkaThe lifeless body of a girl killed during the shelling of a residential area lies on a medical cart at the city hospital of Mariupol, eastern Ukraine, Sunday, Feb. 27, 2022. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
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A month in, Ukraine fights on, makes Moscow pay a high priceBernat Armangue
African residents in Ukraine wait at the platform inside Lviv railway station, Sunday, Feb. 27, 2022, in Lviv, west Ukraine. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Bernat ArmangueAfrican residents in Ukraine wait at the platform inside Lviv railway station, Sunday, Feb. 27, 2022, in Lviv, west Ukraine. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
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A month in, Ukraine fights on, makes Moscow pay a high priceVadim Ghirda
Members of the Ukrainian territorial defense guard a checkpoint in Gorenka, outside the capital Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
Vadim GhirdaMembers of the Ukrainian territorial defense guard a checkpoint in Gorenka, outside the capital Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
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A month in, Ukraine fights on, makes Moscow pay a high priceMarienko Andrew
A Russian armored personnel carrier burns amid damaged and abandoned light utility vehicles after fighting in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Sunday, Feb. 27, 2022. (AP Photo/Marienko Andrew)
Marienko AndrewA Russian armored personnel carrier burns amid damaged and abandoned light utility vehicles after fighting in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Sunday, Feb. 27, 2022. (AP Photo/Marienko Andrew)
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A month in, Ukraine fights on, makes Moscow pay a high priceEmilio Morenatti
Stanislav, 40, says goodbye to his son David, 2, and his wife Anna, 35, on a train to Lviv at the Kyiv station, Ukraine, Thursday, March 3, 2022. Stanislav is staying to fight while his family is leaving the country to seek refuge in a neighboring country. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
Emilio MorenattiStanislav, 40, says goodbye to his son David, 2, and his wife Anna, 35, on a train to Lviv at the Kyiv station, Ukraine, Thursday, March 3, 2022. Stanislav is staying to fight while his family is leaving the country to seek refuge in a neighboring country. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
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A month in, Ukraine fights on, makes Moscow pay a high priceFelipe Dana
People trying to flee Ukraine wait for trains inside Lviv railway station in Lviv, western Ukraine, Friday, March 4, 2022. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)
Felipe DanaPeople trying to flee Ukraine wait for trains inside Lviv railway station in Lviv, western Ukraine, Friday, March 4, 2022. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)
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A month in, Ukraine fights on, makes Moscow pay a high priceEvgeniy Maloletka
Dead bodies are put into a mass grave on the outskirts of Mariupol, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 9, 2022, as people cannot bury their dead because of the heavy shelling by Russian forces. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
Evgeniy MaloletkaDead bodies are put into a mass grave on the outskirts of Mariupol, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 9, 2022, as people cannot bury their dead because of the heavy shelling by Russian forces. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
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A month in, Ukraine fights on, makes Moscow pay a high priceEvgeniy Maloletka
A police officer shows the covered bodies of children killed by shelling at hospital number 3 in Mariupol, Ukraine, Tuesday, March 15, 2022. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
Evgeniy MaloletkaA police officer shows the covered bodies of children killed by shelling at hospital number 3 in Mariupol, Ukraine, Tuesday, March 15, 2022. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
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A month in, Ukraine fights on, makes Moscow pay a high priceEvgeniy Maloletka
Ukrainian emergency employees and volunteers carry an injured pregnant woman from a maternity hospital damaged by shelling in Mariupol, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 9, 2022. The baby was born dead. Half an hour later, the mother died too. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
Evgeniy MaloletkaUkrainian emergency employees and volunteers carry an injured pregnant woman from a maternity hospital damaged by shelling in Mariupol, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 9, 2022. The baby was born dead. Half an hour later, the mother died too. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
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A month in, Ukraine fights on, makes Moscow pay a high priceEvgeniy Maloletka
A man plays with a baby in a bomb shelter in Mariupol, Ukraine, Sunday, March 6, 2022. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
Evgeniy MaloletkaA man plays with a baby in a bomb shelter in Mariupol, Ukraine, Sunday, March 6, 2022. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
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A month in, Ukraine fights on, makes Moscow pay a high priceEvgeniy Maloletka
Serhiy Kralya, 41, looks at the camera after surgery at a hospital in Mariupol, eastern Ukraine on Friday, March 11, 2022. Kralya was injured during shelling by Russian forces. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
Evgeniy MaloletkaSerhiy Kralya, 41, looks at the camera after surgery at a hospital in Mariupol, eastern Ukraine on Friday, March 11, 2022. Kralya was injured during shelling by Russian forces. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
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A month in, Ukraine fights on, makes Moscow pay a high priceEvgeniy Maloletka
Russian army tanks move down a street on the outskirts of Mariupol, Ukraine, March 11, 2022. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
Evgeniy MaloletkaRussian army tanks move down a street on the outskirts of Mariupol, Ukraine, March 11, 2022. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
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A month in, Ukraine fights on, makes Moscow pay a high priceFelipe Dana
Soldiers walk on a path as smoke billows from the town of Irpin, on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, March 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)
Felipe DanaSoldiers walk on a path as smoke billows from the town of Irpin, on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, March 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)
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A month in, Ukraine fights on, makes Moscow pay a high priceEvgeniy Maloletka
Seen through a broken window, a fire burns at an apartment building after the shelling of a residential district in Mariupol, Ukraine, Friday, March 11, 2022. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
Evgeniy MaloletkaSeen through a broken window, a fire burns at an apartment building after the shelling of a residential district in Mariupol, Ukraine, Friday, March 11, 2022. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
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A month in, Ukraine fights on, makes Moscow pay a high priceBernat Armangue
Displaced Ukrainians wait to board a Poland-bound train in Lviv, western Ukraine, Sunday, March 13, 2022. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Bernat ArmangueDisplaced Ukrainians wait to board a Poland-bound train in Lviv, western Ukraine, Sunday, March 13, 2022. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
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A month in, Ukraine fights on, makes Moscow pay a high priceFelipe Dana
An elderly woman hides in a basement for shelter, with no electricity, in Irpin, on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Sunday, March 13, 2022. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)
Felipe DanaAn elderly woman hides in a basement for shelter, with no electricity, in Irpin, on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Sunday, March 13, 2022. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)
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A month in, Ukraine fights on, makes Moscow pay a high priceEvgeniy Maloletka
The children of medical workers warm themselves in a blanket as they wait for their relatives in a hospital in Mariupol, Ukraine, Friday, March 4, 2022. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
Evgeniy MaloletkaThe children of medical workers warm themselves in a blanket as they wait for their relatives in a hospital in Mariupol, Ukraine, Friday, March 4, 2022. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
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A month in, Ukraine fights on, makes Moscow pay a high priceBernat Armangue
Ukrainian civilians receive weapons training, in the outskirts of Lviv, western Ukraine, Monday, March 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Bernat ArmangueUkrainian civilians receive weapons training, in the outskirts of Lviv, western Ukraine, Monday, March 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
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A month in, Ukraine fights on, makes Moscow pay a high priceBernat Armangue
Lenin sculptures are placed on the patio of the Andrey Sheptytsky National Museum in Lviv, western Ukraine, Friday, March 4, 2022. The doors of the museum have been closed since Russia's war on Ukraine began on Feb. 24, and heritage sites across the country face danger as the fighting continues. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Bernat ArmangueLenin sculptures are placed on the patio of the Andrey Sheptytsky National Museum in Lviv, western Ukraine, Friday, March 4, 2022. The doors of the museum have been closed since Russia's war on Ukraine began on Feb. 24, and heritage sites across the country face danger as the fighting continues. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
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A month in, Ukraine fights on, makes Moscow pay a high priceFelipe Dana
A child is carried on a stroller across an improvised path while fleeing Irpin, on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 9, 2022. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)
Felipe DanaA child is carried on a stroller across an improvised path while fleeing Irpin, on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 9, 2022. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)
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A month in, Ukraine fights on, makes Moscow pay a high priceFelipe Dana
Ukrainian soldiers take cover from incoming artillery fire in Irpin, the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Sunday, March 13, 2022. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)
Felipe DanaUkrainian soldiers take cover from incoming artillery fire in Irpin, the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Sunday, March 13, 2022. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)
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A month in, Ukraine fights on, makes Moscow pay a high priceDiego Herrera Carcedo
The dead body of a person killed by Russian shelling lies covered in the street in the town of Irpin, Ukraine, Sunday, March 6, 2022. (AP Photo/Diego Herrera Carcedo)
Diego Herrera CarcedoThe dead body of a person killed by Russian shelling lies covered in the street in the town of Irpin, Ukraine, Sunday, March 6, 2022. (AP Photo/Diego Herrera Carcedo)
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A month in, Ukraine fights on, makes Moscow pay a high priceEmilio Morenatti
Natalia, 57, cries as she says goodbye to her daughter and grandson on a train to Lviv at the Kyiv station, Ukraine, Thursday, March 3. 2022. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
Emilio MorenattiNatalia, 57, cries as she says goodbye to her daughter and grandson on a train to Lviv at the Kyiv station, Ukraine, Thursday, March 3. 2022. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
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A month in, Ukraine fights on, makes Moscow pay a high priceFelipe Dana
Ukrainians crowd under a destroyed bridge as they try to flee across the Irpin River in the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, March 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)
Felipe DanaUkrainians crowd under a destroyed bridge as they try to flee across the Irpin River in the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, March 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)
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A month in, Ukraine fights on, makes Moscow pay a high priceEvgeniy Maloletka
People lie on the floor of a hospital during shelling by Russian forces in Mariupol, Ukraine, Friday, March 4, 2022. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
Evgeniy MaloletkaPeople lie on the floor of a hospital during shelling by Russian forces in Mariupol, Ukraine, Friday, March 4, 2022. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
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A month in, Ukraine fights on, makes Moscow pay a high priceFelipe Dana
A man injured in a bombing lies on a stretcher at a hospital hallway during an air raid alarm in Brovary, north of Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, March 17, 2022. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)
Felipe DanaA man injured in a bombing lies on a stretcher at a hospital hallway during an air raid alarm in Brovary, north of Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, March 17, 2022. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)
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A month in, Ukraine fights on, makes Moscow pay a high priceBernat Armangue
Ukrainians pick clothes inside a cinema turned aid center in Lviv, western Ukraine, Saturday, March 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Bernat ArmangueUkrainians pick clothes inside a cinema turned aid center in Lviv, western Ukraine, Saturday, March 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
