In the early hours of June 21, Russian forces conducted a significant assault on Ukrainian territory, deploying two Iskander-M ballistic missiles, two Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missiles, and 105 drones from multiple locations within Russia and occupied Crimea, according to the Ukrainian Air Force.
As of 9:00 AM local time, preliminary reports indicated that Ukrainian air defenses had intercepted or suppressed 96 enemy drones, including Shahed, Gerbera, and Italmas types, across various regions of the country. The attacks resulted in confirmed strikes from ballistic missiles and six assault drones at six different sites, along with debris falling in five locations. Further details regarding the two air-launched ballistic missiles are still being verified.
The ongoing assault has prompted Ukrainian officials to urge the public to adhere to safety protocols. Russian military forces have consistently targeted Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure using a range of weaponry, including strike drones, missiles, and multiple launch rocket systems.
Ukrainian authorities and international organizations have classified these attacks as war crimes committed by the Russian Federation, emphasizing their deliberate nature. The strikes on essential services and healthcare facilities aim to deprive civilians of electricity, heating, water supply, communication, medical assistance, and other critical living conditions.
Legal experts, genocide researchers, and human rights advocates assert that Russia’s actions during the ongoing war may constitute various forms of genocide against the Ukrainian population. They cite statements from Russian officials denying the existence of Ukrainians as an ethnic group and calling for their destruction, alongside public calls for violence against Ukrainians.
Specific actions that have raised concerns include targeted attacks on essential services, persecution of pro-Ukrainian individuals in occupied territories, and the systematic eradication of Ukrainian culture and identity. This includes the deportation of children to Russia for identity alteration and the removal of Ukrainian literature from libraries.
The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948, obligates its 149 signatory nations to prevent and punish acts of genocide both during wartime and in 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 harm, deliberately creating conditions aimed at the destruction of a group, preventing births, and forcibly transferring children from one group to another.
In response to these allegations, Russian leadership has denied that its military is intentionally targeting civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, asserting that it does not aim to harm civilians or destroy hospitals, schools, and essential utilities.
Russian military forces launched a coordinated attack on Ukraine involving missiles and drones, prompting Ukrainian officials to classify these actions as war crimes. Legal experts highlight that such assaults may constitute genocide against the Ukrainian population, given the systematic targeting of essential services and cultural eradication.