(Reuters) – Kyiv on Thursday condemned what it said were the Russian deportations of Ukrainian citizens from two regions occupied by pro-Moscow forces, saying they “grossly violate international law”.
Russia has ordered civilians in the southern Kherson region to evacuate from areas on the west bank of the Dnipro river, and this week told those in a 15 km buffer zone on the east bank to leave as well.
In a statement, the Ukrainian foreign ministry said Moscow’s forces were also forcing people to leave the Zaporizhzhia region, further to the east.
“Russia’s infliction of large-scale humanitarian suffering on innocent children, women and the elderly is a violation of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide,” it added, calling for international condemnation of Russia and more sanctions.
(Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by Daniel Wallis)
