ICC Launches War Crimes Probe In Ukraine Amid Russian Invasion

UN Verifies 227 Civilian Deaths In Ukraine—But Real Number Is Probably Far Higher

The United Nations has confirmed 227 civilian deaths and 525 civilian injuries in Ukraine from the start of Russia’s invasion until Tuesday, though it said the real number is likely “considerably higher,” as international monitors struggle to verify casualties in an active warzone.

The United Nations’ count includes 212 adult deaths and 15 child deaths, as well as 497 injured adults and 28 injured children. Most of these casualties were caused by artillery shelling, rocket launches and airstrikes, the United Nations said, as Russia ramps up its aerial attacks on cities like Kyiv.

The government’s casualty counts have been far higher. Ukraine’s emergency service said Wednesday approximately 2,000 civilians have died, according to several media outlets, though that figure hasn’t been independently verified.

— Joe Walsh

ICC Will Investigate Alleged War Crimes In Ukraine

The International Criminal Court will “immediately proceed” with an investigation into alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Ukraine, prosecutor Karim A.A. Khan announced Wednesday, after 39 countries referred the case to the Hague-based court.

The investigation will not only examine possible war crimes committed during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but will also look into crimes that may have been perpetrated during the conflict between the Ukrainian government and Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine starting in 2014.

Khan said Monday there is a “reasonable basis” to open an investigation into the situation in Ukraine, but he needed a referral from a party to the Rome Statute—the treaty that established the ICC—in order to begin his probe (Russia, Ukraine and the United States are not parties to the statute).

If the ICC decides to indict anybody for alleged war crimes, its ability to take legal action is somewhat limited, as the organization relies on individual countries to make arrests and transfer arrestees to its custody. Khan says the support of the international community will be “essential” to the investigation.

— Mason Bissada

Oracle, H&M, EA Sports Are Latest Companies To Cut Ties With Russia

Technology company Oracle said Wednesday it has “suspended all operations” in Russia, and clothing retailer H&M has paused sales in Russia, the latest companies to distance themselves from the Russian market following the country’s invasion of Ukraine.

Meanwhile, EA Sports is removing the Russian national soccer team and Russian club teams from its FIFA-branded video games, it announced Wednesday. Two days earlier, the real-life Russian national team and Russian club soccer teams were banned from competitions run by FIFA and the Union of European Football Associations “until further notice.”

For more details on corporate responses to Russia’s invasion, click here.

— Joe Walsh

U.S. Delivers Anti-Aircraft Stinger Missiles To Ukraine

The U.S. has delivered hundreds of anti-aircraft Stinger missiles to Ukraine over the past few days as part of the $350 million military aid package President Joe Biden promised last week, according to CNN.

The U.S. is sending weapons paid for through the Foreign Assistance Act, according to Reuters. Ukraine has also requested Javelin anti-tank weapons. The Pentagon told Reuters it would also be sending small arms, body armor, anti-armor and munitions to aid Ukrainian front-line personnel. The State Department said the U.S. has committed more than $1 billion in security assistance to Ukraine over the past year.

“It is another clear signal that the United States stands with the people of Ukraine as they defend their sovereign, courageous, and proud nation,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrote in a statement Saturday announcing the aid.

— Mason Bissada

Key Developments: Ukraine And Russia Plan To Meet Amid Intense Fighting, U.S. Cancels Missile Test

• Ukrainian negotiators are set to meet with a Russian delegation, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s office told the Eastern European news outlet NEXTA Wednesday.
• Russian troops have taken control of the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, the New York Times reported Wednesday, citing Kherson’s mayor and a senior Ukrainian official, marking the first major city to fall to Russia since the invasion started last week.
• Russia has continued its aerial attacks on the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, reportedly hitting a railway station Wednesday, but Russian ground forces are largely stalled north of Kyiv amid logistical problems and intense Ukrainian resistance, a senior U.S. defense official told reporters.
• Russia’s defense ministry announced via state-run media outlets Wednesday 498 troops have died and 1,597 have been injured in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, its first casualty update of the war—though Zelensky says nearly 6,000 Russian personnel have died.
• The United States has canceled an intercontinental ballistic missile test launch scheduled for this week to avoid escalating “heightened tensions” with Russia, Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby announced Wednesday, three days after Russia put its nuclear weapons on high alert.
• Senior Chinese officials asked Russia not to invade Ukraine until after the 2022 Olympics in Beijing ended on February 20, the New York Times reports, citing anonymous U.S. officials and an anonymous European official, who told the Times an intelligence report indicated the request came in early February.
• The United States has hit Belarus with the same export controls that Russia is now facing, after U.S. officials said Belarus—a key Russian ally—is “enabling” the invasion.

— Mason Bissada