"New Report: 'Deliberate Pattern' of Starvation Tactics against Ukrainian Civilians by Russian Forces in Siege of Mariupol City" by Global Rights Compliance, June 13, 2024. (Summary in Ukrainian followed by English)

 Full report in English (PDF) — "The Hope Left Us": Russia’s Siege, Starvation, and Capture of Mariupol City

 Full report in Ukrainian (PDF) — "Надія залишила нас": Облога, моріння голодом і захоплення Маріуполя Росією

I still need to process this report, but its outline already lines up with the reporting presented in the prize-winning Frontline/AP documentary, “20 Days in Mariupol” (available in full on the Internet Archive). Its chapters include:

  • “Attacks on Objects Indispensable to the Survival (OIS) of the Civilian Population”;
  • “Denial of Humanitarian Aid”;
  • “Denial of Humanitarian Evacuations and Filtration”; and
  • “Arrest and Persecution of Humanitarian Volunteers.”

At the very least, Russia’s systematic actions make one thing even more abundantly clear: Russia’s invasion never had anything even remotely to do with “protecting” Russian speakers.

I’m also trying to grasp what Russia’s actions mean to Ukrainians already keenly aware of Stalin’s instrumentalization of hunger and famine against them.

Finally, it is interesting to see this report come out at a time when Israel’s government has been deliberately starving Palestinians in Gaza. There are many past precedents for applying such methods in war, but the international humanitarian movement and international humanitarian law have been making significant strides. Public denials of starvation charges by perpetrators only underline their awareness of this reality.