In the early hours of February 16, Russian military forces targeted Ukraine with a barrage of missiles and drones, including four anti-ship Zircon missiles, an Iskander-M ballistic missile, and 62 strike drones, primarily Shaheds, according to the Ukrainian Air Force.
As of 9:00 AM, preliminary reports indicated that Ukrainian air defenses successfully intercepted two Zircon missiles and downed 52 drones of various types, including Shahed, Gerbera, and Italmas. However, one missile and nine drones struck eight locations, with debris falling in two additional areas. Details regarding three missiles are still being clarified.
The Russian military has consistently employed a range of weaponry, including strike drones, missiles, and artillery, to assault Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure across the nation.
Ukrainian authorities and international organizations classify these attacks as war crimes, emphasizing their deliberate nature. The strikes on essential services and healthcare facilities aim to deprive civilians of electricity, heating, water, communication, and medical care, which some legal experts argue could constitute genocidal actions.
Legal scholars and human rights advocates assert that Russia’s actions during the ongoing conflict may fall under the definition of genocide. They cite several indicators, including:
- Public declarations from Russian officials denying the existence of Ukrainians as an ethnic group.
- Calls for the destruction of Ukrainian identity.
- Targeted attacks on vital infrastructure and healthcare facilities.
- Persecution of pro-Ukrainian individuals in occupied territories.
- Efforts to eliminate Ukrainian cultural figures and educators.
- Implementation of educational systems aimed at altering children’s identities in occupied regions.
- Forced deportation of children to Russia to change their cultural identities.
- The removal and destruction of Ukrainian literature and artifacts from libraries and museums.
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 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 creating conditions aimed at the group’s destruction, preventing births, and forcibly transferring children to another group.
Despite these allegations, Russian leadership continues to deny that its military is intentionally targeting civilian infrastructure, asserting that such claims are unfounded.
Russian forces launched a significant attack on Ukraine, employing missiles and drones, while Ukrainian air defenses reported successful interceptions. The ongoing assaults have raised international concerns, with some experts suggesting that these actions may amount to genocide against the Ukrainian people.