The Ukrainian Air Force has reported that its air defense systems have successfully intercepted more than 140,000 aerial threats since the onset of the full-scale invasion by Russia in February 2022. This includes a range of missiles and drones aimed at various targets across Ukraine.
According to a statement shared via Telegram, the Ukrainian forces have neutralized 86 Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, 709 Kalibr cruise missiles, 2,459 Kh-101 cruise missiles, and 274 Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles. Additionally, they have destroyed approximately 44,700 Shahed-type attack drones, 14,900 reconnaissance drones, and 70,300 other types of unmanned aerial vehicles.
Russian military operations have consistently targeted Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure using various weaponry, including attack drones, missiles, and guided bombs. These attacks have raised serious concerns among Ukrainian authorities and international organizations, who classify them as war crimes due to their deliberate nature.
Officials argue that the strikes on essential services and healthcare facilities aim to deprive civilians of electricity, heat, water, communication, and medical assistance, which they characterize as indicative of genocidal actions. Legal experts and human rights advocates assert that the Russian government is committing acts that could be classified as genocide against the Ukrainian population.
Evidence cited includes public declarations by Russian leaders denying the existence of Ukrainians as a distinct ethnic group and calls for their destruction. Furthermore, the systematic targeting of essential services, persecution of pro-Ukrainian individuals in occupied territories, and attacks on cultural figures contribute to the argument for genocide.
The 1948 UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide obligates its 149 signatory countries to prevent and punish acts of genocide during both wartime and peacetime. The Convention defines genocide as actions intended to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group.
Indicators of genocide include the killing of group members, causing serious bodily or mental harm, deliberately inflicting conditions calculated to bring about the group’s destruction, and the forcible transfer of children from one group to another.
Despite these allegations, Russian officials continue to deny that their military is intentionally targeting civilian infrastructure, asserting that their operations are aimed at military objectives.
The Ukrainian Air Force claims to have intercepted over 140,000 aerial threats since the invasion began, including numerous missiles and drones. This extensive military response is framed against allegations of war crimes and potential genocide by Russian forces targeting civilian infrastructure.