The International Human Rights Clinic (IHRC) at Harvard Law School, in collaboration with International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR), has submitted a Legal Memorandum to Ukraine’s Office of the Prosecutor General demonstrating that Russia’s aerial attacks amount to crimes against humanity and war crimes. The Memorandum supports accountability efforts for violations of international law committed in Ukraine over the past three years, providing a novel analytical framework to demonstrate that perpetrators of drone and missile strikes acted with the necessary intent. A public version is available as a report, Airstrikes and Atrocities: A Legal Assessment of Russia’s Aerial Campaign in Ukraine.
IPHR has documented over 24,000 attacks on Ukrainian civilians and objects since Russia launched its full-scale invasion three years ago. Over the last 18 months, IHRC and IPHR have conducted extensive factual and legal research on the pattern and scale of Russian aerial attacks. The Memorandum identifies and analyzes 22 specific attacks, focusing on two distinct patterns: (1) attacks on critical energy infrastructure, including electrical grids and power plants, during cold winter months, and (2) year-round attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, including densely populated urban areas, residential buildings, hospitals, schools, and cultural objects.
