On this edition of Your Call's Media Roundtable, we discuss Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which began two years ago.
According to the UN, since February 2022, more than 10,000 Ukrainian civilians have been killed, 6.3 million people have fled the country, and another 3.7 million remain internally displaced.
Over the past two years, the UN Human Rights Office has documented widespread torture, ill-treatment, and arbitrary detention of civilians by Russian armed forces. Summary executions, enforced disappearances, and repression of the right to freedom of expression and assembly have also been documented.
“The ongoing Russian assault does not exempt Ukrainian forces from their own obligations to respect international human rights law and international humanitarian law,” said UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk. During the past two years, the office has documented a number of violations committed by Ukrainian military and security forces, albeit a fraction of the scope of those perpetrated by Russian forces. Türk acknowledged that the UN Human Rights Office is continuously engaging with Ukrainian authorities to address these issues.
Guest:
Eric Reguly, European bureau chief for The Globe and Mail and author of Ghosts of War: Chasing My Father's Legend Through Vietnam
Resources:
Globe and Mail: Odesa cathedral repairs bring hope as Ukrainians enter third year of Russia’s war on their culture
NPR: After 2 years of war in Ukraine, 6 cities hold out hope under fire
FT: Tracking Ukraine’s counteroffensive against Russia in maps
Reuters: Blood and billions: the cost of Russia's war in Ukraine
