The human rights organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused the Russian army of torture, illegal arrests and deprivation of liberty of civilians in southern Ukraine. More than 70 Ukrainians were interviewed. According to their own statements, they suffered injuries to their ribs or teeth, burns or concussions.
The citizens interviewed live in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhya regions. While Kherson is already almost completely occupied by Russian troops, Zaporizhzhya is part of it. Before the war started on February 24, more than 2.7 million people lived in the two regions. Allegations are now being made that Ukrainian civilians in the south are being mistreated by Russian forces. “They turned the areas they occupied (…) into an abyss of fear and wild anarchy,” HRW’s Julia Gorbunova said. She cited torture, “inhumane treatment”, “arbitrary arrest” and “deprivation of liberty” as examples.
According to HRW, it interviewed more than 70 citizens who described more than 40 cases of abuse and torture. They were beaten or subjected to electric shocks. People in Ukraine have suffered injuries to their ribs or teeth, burns or concussions. Some of them have also witnessed torture. According to HRW, Russian authorities are responsible for stopping the abuse
More EU money for weapons
As reported, there are currently no peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in sight. Moscow threatened further hostilities and the West is once again supplying Ukraine with weapons. Only Friday did EU countries decide to spend more than 500 million euros on weapons and equipment for the Ukrainian armed forces. The money is intended, among other things, for protective equipment, petrol and first-aid kits (a total of 10 million euros), but mainly for weapons and ammunition (490 million euros). In total, the EU’s expenditure with the new package amounts to €2.5 billion. A quarter of the money comes from Germany.
Italy has already announced more weapons if the center-right alliance wins snap general elections on September 25. “We have always defended and supported Ukraine. The West needs to know that it can count on us. I would not tolerate any ambiguity on this point,” said Giorgia Meloni, leader of the opposition right-wing Brothers of Italy (Fdl) party. In Italy, however, unlike Germany, France and Britain, public support for arms sales is in Kiev. weak, according to opinion polls.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
