WASHINGTON -- The U.S. government has determined that members of Russia's forces have committed war crimes during the country’s invasion of Ukraine, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on March 23.
“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.
"Our assessment is based on a careful review of available information from public and intelligence sources," Blinken said.
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"As with any alleged crime, a court of law with jurisdiction over the crime is ultimately responsible for determining criminal guilt in specific cases," he added.
The International Criminal Court in The Hague generally prosecutes alleged war crimes.
U.S. President Joe Biden had called Russian President Vladimir Putin a "war criminal" when talking to journalists on March 16, sparking an angry reaction from Moscow.
The U.S. military accused Russian forces on March 21 of committing war crimes in their bloody invasion, while European and Ukrainian officials have also used the term in describing Russia’s actions.
In addition, Blinken himself had previously called Russia’s attacks on Ukraine “war crimes,” but this is the first official statement by the U.S. government declaring the assessment, headlined: “War Crimes by Russia’s Forces in Ukraine,” the statement said.
“Since launching his unprovoked and unjust war of choice, Russian President Vladimir Putin has unleashed unrelenting violence that has caused death and destruction across Ukraine,” the statement added.
“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.”