Dutch war crimes investigators examine Ukraine's battered infrastructure

Gepubliceerd op: 3-6-2023

KYIV, June 1 (Reuters) - Dutch and Czech investigators have completed a six-week mission to Ukraine for the International Criminal Court to gather evidence of damage caused to critical and civilian infrastructure, the group's leader said.

Russia conducted a winter campaign of air strikes on Ukrainian energy and utilities infrastructure, damaging up to 50% of the energy system. Kyiv said this was a war crime, while Moscow said the targets were legitimate.

Speaking in a Reuters interview on Wednesday, Lieutenant Colonel Maud Droogh, who led the mission, declined to provide details of what exactly the team investigated, but said they had visited facilities in Ukraine's east and south.

"Altogether it's our goal to convict the most responsible for these war crimes. We are not looking for the individuals who do something, but for the big players in the game," she said.

She said the team comprised 45 investigators, including mostly Royal Netherlands Marechaussee military police and several experts from the Czech Republic.