In the early hours of April 24, Russian forces targeted Ukraine with a combination of ballistic missiles and drones, according to the Ukrainian Air Force. The assault involved two Iskander-M missiles and approximately 107 strike drones, many of which were identified as Shahed models.
As of 8:00 AM local time, Ukrainian air defense systems successfully intercepted 96 enemy drones, including various types such as Shahed, Gerbera, and Italmas, across northern, southern, and eastern regions of the country. Despite these efforts, reports confirmed that two ballistic missiles and ten drones struck nine locations, with debris falling in two additional areas.
The Ukrainian military has warned that the attack is ongoing, with several Russian drones still present in Ukrainian airspace. Russian forces have consistently targeted Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure using a range of weaponry, including strike drones, missiles, and multiple launch rocket systems.
Ukrainian authorities, along with international organizations, categorize these strikes as war crimes committed by the Russian Federation, emphasizing their deliberate nature. Attacks on essential services and healthcare facilities aim to deprive civilians of electricity, heating, water supply, communication, and medical assistance, which some legal experts and human rights advocates argue could amount to genocidal actions.
During the ongoing conflict, Russia has allegedly committed various acts that fit the definition of genocide against Ukrainian citizens. These include public declarations of intent to eliminate Ukrainians as an ethnic group, systematic targeting of pro-Ukrainian individuals in occupied territories, and the destruction of cultural heritage.
The 1948 United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide obligates its 149 member states to prevent and punish acts of genocide during both wartime and peacetime. The convention defines genocide as actions aimed at the complete or partial destruction of a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group.
Indicators of genocide include killing members of the group, causing serious bodily harm, deliberately creating living conditions intended to destroy the group, preventing births, and forcibly transferring children to another group. Public incitement to such actions is also considered a sign of genocidal intent.
Russian leadership continues to deny that its military is intentionally targeting civilian infrastructure, despite mounting evidence of civilian casualties and damage to hospitals, schools, and essential utilities.
Russia has intensified its attacks on Ukraine, deploying ballistic missiles and drones, leading to significant civilian infrastructure damage. Ukrainian authorities classify these actions as war crimes, with implications of genocidal intent against the Ukrainian population.