Experts from the "Moscow Mechanism" of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) have prepared a report on the investigation into the detention of Ukrainian civilians by Russia.
This was reported by in Twitter (X) of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba.
Kuleba thanked the OSCE, all civil activists, non-governmental organizations, governments, and international organizations that contributed to raising awareness about this issue.
"I welcome the OSCE Moscow Mechanism Report on Russia's arbitrary detention of Ukrainian civilians. This important document testifies to Russia's systematic and large-scale campaign to seize civilians as hostages in the occupied territories of Ukraine," the minister emphasized.
The head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that the conclusions of the Mission underscore the mass nature of Russian war crimes against Ukrainian civilians.
"The findings of the independent Mission are shocking: individuals involved in the arbitrary deprivation of liberty of Ukrainian civilians committed war crimes, crimes against humanity, and violations of international humanitarian and human rights law," added Kuleba.
The Report emphasizes that this practice has occurred on a massive scale and that there is evidence of Russia’s systematic, consistent, and deliberate pattern of conduct targeting Ukrainian civilians. It began in the occupied Crimea in 2014 and has been expanded by the aggressor state since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
"The document will become an important element in the work of national and international judicial bodies aimed at identifying specific individuals who should be held criminally responsible," Kuleba emphasized.
The minister also called on partners to consolidate efforts for the immediate and unconditional release of all Ukrainian civilians arbitrarily detained by Russia, as envisaged by the Ukrainian peace formula.
