UK Friends of Ukraine are calling on the UK Government to recognise and designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism. Throughout its invasion of Ukraine since 2014 and the full scale invasion of Ukraine since 24 February 2022, Russia has launched deliberate attacks on civilian targets, using its Army and pro-Kremlin mercenary proxies, with the aim of terrorising Ukraine and its people into submission.

Russian war crimes in Ukraine, both since the full scale invasion of Ukraine began on 24 February 2022 and for over 9 years since it invaded and occupied parts of Ukraine is beyond evil, even during times of war, based on bombing and destruction on an industrial scale: plus mass murder, kidnapping, torture and sexual abuse.

As of 11 January 2024 the following figures provided by the Ukrainian Government are conclusive evidence that Russia is a terrorist state.

• 10,200 civilians murdered and a further 19,300 injured;-
• 520 children murdered and a further 1,200 injured;
• 167,200 destroyed civilian buildings;
• 123,201 war crimes registered;
• On 30 July 2023 Russian Children's Commissioner, Maria Lvova-Belova, said in a report that more than 700,000 Ukrainian children had been taken from Ukraine to Russia since the start of the full scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. Many of these children will have had attempts to brainwash them, so they are opposed to an independent Ukraine, free of Russian occupation and influence.
• The Ukrainian Government has stated that over 19,500 Ukrainian children have been abducted from Ukraine to Russia as of 8 January 2024, according to information from the UN. Of that number, included are 3,900 orphans or those without parental care. The number refers only to those cases that were officially recorded and the real figure is believed to be considerably higher. Only a few of these children have been returned home.

Actual numbers might be considerably higher, as information from many locations with intense hostilities are not yet available or confirmed. These numbers are constantly rising as there is no end to Russian terrorism. You can look into the figures and stories behind the figures via the links below.

https://war.ukraine.ua/russia-war-crimes/

https://www.rferl.org/amp/russia-children-taken-ukraine/32527298.html 

https://www.vindobona.org/article/alarming-number-of-abducted-children-in-the-ukraine-war

Further information outlining Russian state terrorism in Ukraine can be found in our report, which provides detailed evidence of why #RussiaIsATerroristState. The link to the report can be found below.

https://friendsofukraine.uk/report 

Russia systematically violates human rights, international law, UN regulations and a number of other international obligations, wages aggression on the territory of Ukraine and other countries, has committed numerous war crimes and carries out hostile actions of an economic nature, in particular in the field of energy.

Russia's continuing invasion and occupation of parts of Ukraine is an attempt to alter borders by force through state sponsored terrorism. It is a crime against peace.The forms of terrorism that Russia uses against Ukrainian citizens are crimes against humanity. The many forms of terrorism in its invasion of Ukraine include mass bombardment of Ukrainian civilians, mass executions, abductions including the abduction of thousands of Ukrainian children, torture and sexual abuse.

Furthermore, by burning and looting Ukrainian land and not allowing Ukraine to export agricultural products for a long time, Russia brought the threat of famine to many countries in Africa and Asia.

Moreover, Russia is exploiting Ukrainian nuclear power plants to blackmail Ukrainians and the international community.

Russia also has a history either directly or through its proxies of committing terrorism in the UK, Georgia, Syria and across Africa.

We should be shocked, but over 9 years of Russian terrorism in Ukraine means we have come to expect horrifying acts of terrorism by the Russian occupier.

Every single day in its invasion and occupation of Ukraine, Russia shows itself to be a terrorist state with its hands dripping with the blood of countless Ukrainians.

It is time the UK Government showed its opposition to state sponsored terrorism and lives up to its commitment as a vital ally of Ukraine. That is why we are calling on the UK Government to recognise and designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism.

#RussiaIsATerroristState