Ukraine war: Russians were shooting civilians, say refugees who saw abuses
- ‘That’s absolutely true. I witnessed it. People were scared’, survivor Ihor Diekov said as more than 2 million people flee Ukraine
- Testimonies will be a critical part of efforts to hold Russia accountable for targeting civilians, their homes and hospitals
As more than two million refugees from Ukraine begin to scatter throughout Europe and beyond, some are carrying valuable witness evidence to build a case for war crimes.
More, the people who are turning up at border crossings are survivors who have fled some of the cities hardest hit by Russian forces.
“It was very eerie,” said Ihor Diekov, one of the many people who crossed the Irpin river outside Kyiv on the slippery wooden planks of a makeshift bridge after Ukrainians blew up the concrete span to slow the Russian advance.
He heard gunshots as he crossed and saw corpses along the road.
“The Russians promised to provide a [humanitarian] corridor which they did not comply with. They were shooting civilians,” he said. “That’s absolutely true. I witnessed it. People were scared.”
Such testimonies will increasingly reach the world in the coming days as more people flow along fragile humanitarian corridors.