As a result of yet another combined attack by Russian forces on the Odesa region on May 15, seven people were injured, one of whom is in serious condition. This was reported by the head of the Odesa Regional Military Administration, Oleg Kiper, who noted that all the victims are receiving the necessary medical assistance.
This is reported by Finway
Russian strikes on Odesa’s infrastructure
According to local authorities, Russian forces struck civilian and transportation infrastructure facilities in the Odesa region in the morning. Prior to this, two more instances of people being injured due to shelling in this region were recorded on the night of Thursday.
“According to preliminary data, seven people were injured. One person is in serious condition. All the injured are receiving the necessary medical assistance,” Kiper stated.
International qualification of Russia’s actions
Russian military forces continue systematic shelling of Ukrainian cities using various types of weapons, including strike drones, missiles, guided aerial bombs, and multiple launch rocket systems. Such actions are aimed at civilian infrastructure and life-support systems, including energy, communication, water supply, and healthcare facilities.
Ukrainian authorities and international human rights defenders qualify strikes on civilian objects as war crimes of the Russian Federation, which have a targeted nature. Shelling that deprives people of basic living conditions is viewed as signs of genocidal actions.
Human rights defenders and genocide researchers emphasize that Russia is committing all types of crimes during the large-scale war that may fall under the definition of genocide. These include: public calls for the destruction of Ukrainians, targeted strikes on critical infrastructure, persecution and destruction of citizens with pro-Ukrainian positions in temporarily occupied territories, deportation of children, and attempts to change the identity of Ukrainian youth through the education system in occupied territories.
The UN General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in 1948, which defines genocide as acts intended to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group. To date, 149 countries have joined the Convention, which obligates them to prevent such crimes and punish them at any time.
Despite numerous evidence and statements from the international community, the leadership of Russia continues to deny carrying out targeted attacks on Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure, as well as the destruction of hospitals, schools, kindergartens, and other facilities that provide basic needs for the civilian population.