User:MyMoloboaccount/Abuses by Ukrainian Forces during Donbass Conflict

Reliable sources covering abuses by Ukrainian government and its forces during Donbass conflict

Abductions

Illegal detentions

Strafing and bombing of civilian population

On 2nd June 2014, the Kiev forces launched an air strike against civilians and administration buildings in Luhansk, Eastern Ukraine.

Executions

Rapes and sexual violence

Torture

"On 13 October, the HRMM U interviewed a resident of Debaltseve (Donetsk region) who claimed that when with the armed groups, he was involved in building and guarding checkpoints and roadblocks. On 16 September, he was allegedly detained at home by Ukrainian servicemen of the 25th Territorial Defence Battalion Kyivska Rus ’ and was reportedly kicked repeatedly. He was then taken to the Debaltseve department of the MoIA, where he was allegedly interrogated and beaten for three days, and urged to tell where weapons, ammunition and supporters of the ‘Donetsk people’s republic’ were located. He was suffocated with a plastic bag ;he was hanged from an opened door and pulled by a rope tied to his hands on his back; he was also beaten on the head with a rubber hammer. He was threatened tobe taken back to the Kyivska Rus battalion to be shot dead. After two weeks, he was transferred to the Izium department of MoIA, where he was again beaten on his back with wooden sticks for a couple of hours. At the end of September, he was the subject of a detainee exchange"

"On 14 October, the HRMMU interviewed a resident of Krasnoarmiisk (Donetsk region) who claimed that he never participated in armed hostilities and only manned an unarmed anti-Maidan checkpoint. On 5 August, some military servicemen pulled him out of his car and took him to a location in Krasnoarmiisk , where he was y kept in a basement. He was beaten, and death threats towards his family were made . The servicemen reportedly wore balaclavas, camouflage, with Ukrainian flags and the inscription Donbas on their chevrons. He was later transferred to an official detention facility after his detention was sanctioned by a court. On 17 September, he was put in a cell where 15-25 persons were detained. They were allegedly ordered to crawl to another cell, while on each side of the corridor guards and operatives were standing and beating them with clubs."

"Amnesty International documented dozens of cases of abuses allegedly committed by members of the Aidar battalion in Novoaidar district, Starobilsk, Severodonetsk, Lysychansk, and Shchastya between late June and late August. Typically, the fighters abducted local men, often businessmen or farmers, whom they accused of collaborating with the separatists and held in makeshift detention facilities before either releasing them or handing them over to the Security Service (SBU). In nearly all cases documented by Amnesty International the victims were subjected to beatings at the moment of capture and/or during interrogations, and either had to pay ransom for their release, or had possessions, including money, cars, telephones, and other valuables seized by the battalion members. Many of the witnesses and victims approached by Amnesty International were reluctant to share details of the incidents, fearing retaliation from Aidar battalion members."

Press freedom

"There have been cases of detention of journalists by Ukrainian forces. On 12 October, the HRMMU interviewed a Russian photographer of the New York Times , who was reportedly beaten up by servicemen of the Ukrainian army or of the National Guard on 4 October . He and a journalist for Deutsche Presse-Agentur were detained at a Ukrainian checkpoint in Mariynka (Donetsk Region) for taking a picture of a Ukrainian tank. Both journalists were ordered to get out of the car and forced to lie on the ground for half an hour, while their documents were checked. Both were beaten."