Your Excellency,

I hereby present my compliments to you.

I am writing to express my deep disturbance at the increasing number and severity of provocations by the Ukrainian troops who purposefully involve civilian population into military operations.

A range of evidence are coming from the city of Mariupol, where, according to available information, the Ukrainian military bring in the civilian population to the «Azov-Steel» plant, who are accommodated in mine-infested workshops and offices. Military equipment is on purpose placed in the plant’s yard. In the event of a Russian breakthrough, the Ukrainian nationalists plan to blow up the whole factory and accuse Russia of killing civilians.

Furthermore, more than 60 persons, more than half of whom are women and children, are forcibly detained in one of the city’s secondary schools. The civilians who attempted to leave the city by using the humanitarian corridors provided are forcibly transported to the school.

Also, there are reports about mines purposefully planted by the Ukrainian side in the Azov State Technical University and its approaches.

Even when it comes to the military conflict, there remain unbreakable rules enshrined in international law long ago. In no case should civilians be harmed, let alone used as human shields.

I call on international human rights organizations to intervene immediately.

I look forward to further cooperation.

Tatiana MOSKALKOVA
Russian Commissioner for Human Rights