Ukraine Rights Commissioner Reports Brutal Killing of Civilians by Russian Forces
Russian forces allegedly killed seven civilians in Pokrovsk who were hiding in the basement of a residential building.
The Gaze reports on it, referring to a post made by Ukrainian Human Rights Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets.
According to him, two Russian soldiers broke into the building and opened fire after civilians refused to provide them with alcohol.
As a result, a father and son were killed, and the soldiers then went down to the basement and shot the other people, including an entire family — a couple, their son, and the woman’s mother. One wounded person survived by pretending to be dead.
"This incident is shocking in its cruelty and cynicism. I have already sent official letters to the ICRC and the UN. The whole world must see the faces of the Russian soldiers who came to kill civilians!" he wrote.
Lubinets emphasized that the incident likely occurred on the night of December 21 and shockingly illustrates the cruelty of Russian forces. He stressed that the events in Pokrovsk are not isolated and that the killings of civilians are part of a systematic pattern of violence by Russian troops in temporarily occupied and frontline areas of Ukraine.
"We know very well that impunity for such actions means only one thing — their repetition! Therefore, we must respond here and now," said the cimmissioner.
Russia continues to carry out brutal attacks on Ukrainian cities even during the Christmas holidays. The strikes on Christmas night killed and injured several people in Odesa, while civilian deaths were also reported in Kharkiv and Chernihiv. Additional injuries occurred among residents in the Zaporizhzhia and Sumy regions, highlighting the impact of indiscriminate attacks on civilians.
In addition to human casualties, the Russian attacks caused widespread blackouts and damaged critical infrastructure, disrupting electricity and essential services in many cities. Civilians remain under constant threat and repeated strikes.
Against this backdrop, and particularly amid discussions about creating and signing a peace agreement, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered Russian forces to continue the “special military operation” in Ukraine.
Reports indicate that the order includes continuing offensive actions aimed at capturing Ukrainian cities and creating “buffer zones,” despite international calls for a ceasefire.
As The Gaze reported earlier, Russian troops executed two Ukrainian soldiers after taking them captive during fighting in eastern Ukraine.
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