The official US announcement that Moscow violated the laws of conflict comes after Blinken, President Joe Biden and Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman said their personal view was that war crimes had occurred.
“Today I can announce that, based on the information currently available, the US government assesses that members of Russian forces have committed war crimes in Ukraine,” Blinken said in a statement.
“Our assessment is based on a careful review of available information from public and intelligence sources,” he said.
“As with any alleged crime, a court with jurisdiction over the crime is ultimately responsible for determining criminal guilt in specific cases,” Blinken continued. “The US government will continue to track war crime reports and will share the information we collect with allies, partners, foundations, and international organizations, as appropriate. We are committed to pursuing accountability using every available tool, including criminal prosecutions.”
Blinken’s statement cited “credible reports” of attacks and indiscriminate attacks deliberately targeting civilians, including the destruction of apartment buildings, schools and hospitals. The Foreign Ministry specifically cited the attacks on the maternity hospital and theater in Mariupol. The US State Department said the theater was marked with the Russian word for “children” with letters visible from the sky.
Biden last week accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of war crimes. “I believe he is a war criminal,” Biden said after remarks at the White House.
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