Press Releases
Atrocities against civilians near Kyiv
(Statement by Foreign Minister HAYASHI Yoshimasa)
April 4, 2022
- The Ukrainian government and various media reports have revealed that atrocities, including the mass killing of innocent civilians, were committed in the area near Kyiv, which was occupied by the Russian forces.
- Japan takes extremely seriously the fact that a large number of civilians in Ukraine have been killed as a result of the acts of the Russian forces, and is deeply shocked by this revelation. The killing of innocent civilians is a grave breach of international humanitarian law and absolutely unacceptable. Japan vehemently condemns it.
- The truth about these atrocities must be uncovered and Russia must be held strictly accountable. Japan has referred the Situation in Ukraine to the International Criminal Court (ICC) on the grounds that war crimes appear to have been committed, and counts on progress in the investigation by the ICC Prosecutor.