Russian war crimes explained by Nobel-winning Ukrainian NGO - with Oleksandra Romantsova

·52 min·5 clips

Nobel-winning activist Oleksandra Romantsova explains why Russian forces systematically torture civilians and abduct children in Ukraine.

The episode begins with host Volodymyr Yermolenko introducing the topic of Russian war crimes and guest Oleksandra Romantsova from the Center for Civil Liberties, which won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022. Romantsova explains that Russian forces have used consistent tactics since 2014, including kidnapping, torture, and targeting community leaders to instill fear. She describes how these methods are normalized within Russian society and military structures. A major focus is the abduction of Ukrainian children, with Romantsova outlining three aims: demographic engineering to increase Russia's white European population, military indoctrination from age six, and recruitment of older teens. She cites examples like forced displacement from Kherson and indoctrination camps in Crimea. Romantsova details how Russia creates lawless 'gray zones' in occupied territories, using torture chambers and sexual violence as weapons of control, as seen in villages like Snegurivka with 27 bodies found. She argues that Putin deliberately targets civilians because he fears Ukrainian democracy and hates their resistance. The conversation shifts to justice, with Romantsova advocating for immediate documentation of war crimes, noting Ukraine has recorded 89,000 episodes and over 160,000 cases by prosecutors. She stresses that waiting for peace would allow evidence destruction and further trauma, especially for children. Solutions discussed include universal jurisdiction in foreign courts and a special tribunal. The episode concludes with a call for support to continue documenting crimes and aiding victims.

As heard by us

A measured episode connects the treatment of Ukrainian children to Russia's wider machinery of war.

Russian war crimes are considered through the treatment of civilians and children, with the episode asking why cruelty so strongly defines Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

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Why you'd press play

You want the human cost of Russia's war crimes traced through abducted Ukrainian children and the adults trying to document it.

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