HRW: Russia commits war crime by forcing Ukrainians from occupied areas into its military service

Russian authorities persist in compelling Ukrainians residing in areas occupied by its forces in the eastern part of Ukraine to serve in its military, according to a report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) published on Wednesday. The report contends that such actions constitute a “war crime.”

Hugh Williamson, the head of HRW’s Europe and Central Asia division, stated, “Russian officials in the occupied territories of Ukraine are openly and illegally coercing men to fight against their own country.” He further noted, “Less apparent is their practice of pressuring detained Ukrainians, who have no means of hiding or escaping, to join the Russian forces.”