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მოძრაობა დროა
თბილისი, 2024
1
სარჩევი
შესავალი ..................................................................................................................................................... 4
კონტექსტი და კვლევის მეთოდოლოგია ............................................................................................. 6
საერთაშორისოსამართლებრივი ვალდებულებები............................................................................ 9
ინტერვიუები ........................................................................................................................................... 15
ინტერვიუ B .......................................................................................................................................... 17
ინტერვიუ C .......................................................................................................................................... 17
ინტერვიუ H ......................................................................................................................................... 18
ინტერვიუ J ........................................................................................................................................... 19
ინტერვიუ K .......................................................................................................................................... 19
ინტერვიუ N.......................................................................................................................................... 20
ინტერვიუ O ......................................................................................................................................... 20
ინტერვიუ Q ......................................................................................................................................... 21
ინტერვიუ R .......................................................................................................................................... 21
ინტერვიუ S........................................................................................................................................... 22
ინტერვიუ T .......................................................................................................................................... 23
ინტერვიუ U.......................................................................................................................................... 23
ინტერვიუ V.......................................................................................................................................... 24
ინტერვიუ X .......................................................................................................................................... 24
ინტერვიუ AB ....................................................................................................................................... 25
ფსიქოლოგიური ომი .............................................................................................................................. 26
დასკვნის ნაცვლად: ტერორი, რომელიც არ შედგა ........................................................................... 32
Introduction ............................................................................................................................................... 34
Context and Research Methodology ......................................................................................................... 36
International legal obligations .................................................................................................................. 38
Interviews................................................................................................................................................... 43
Interview B ............................................................................................................................................. 44
Interview C ............................................................................................................................................ 45
Interview H ............................................................................................................................................ 45
Interview with J ..................................................................................................................................... 46
Interview K ............................................................................................................................................ 46
Interview M ........................................................................................................................................... 47
2
Interview N ............................................................................................................................................ 47
Interview O ............................................................................................................................................ 47
Interview Q ............................................................................................................................................ 48
Interview R ............................................................................................................................................ 48
Interview S ............................................................................................................................................. 49
Interview T ............................................................................................................................................. 49
Interview U ............................................................................................................................................ 50
Interview V ............................................................................................................................................ 50
Interview X ............................................................................................................................................ 51
Interview AB .......................................................................................................................................... 51
Psychological Warfare ............................................................................................................................... 52
Conclusion: Russian terror: a failed attempt ............................................................................................ 57
References .................................................................................................................................................. 58
3
შესავალი
4
მიუთითებს ზემდგომი სახელმწიფო ინსტიტუტების მიერ პროცესის კოორდინაციის
დონეზე, დაგეგმვასა და ორგანიზებაზე, პირდაპირ ნებართვასა და დანაშაულების
გააზრებული პოლიტიკის ფარგლებში ჩადენაზე.1
1
The UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Alice Jill Edwards, „Widespread use of torture by Russian military in Ukraine
appears deliberate: UN expert“
https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2023/06/widespread-use-torture-russian-military-ukraine-appears-
deliberate-un-expert
5
კონტექსტი და კვლევის მეთოდოლოგია
2
წინამდებარე ანალიტიკური დოკუმენტი წარმოადგენს პროექტის ნაწილს, რომლის ფარგლებშიც
ჩატარდა 27 ინტერვიუ საქართველოში მყოფ ლტოლვილებთან უკრაინის სხვადასხვა ქალაქიდან.
პროექტის მიზანია, უკრაინულ მხარეს მიეწოდოს რუსეთის შეიარაღებული ძალების
წარმომადგენლების მიერ ჩადენილი წამების, არაადამიანური და ღირსების შემლახავი მოპყრობის
ფაქტები, ომის დანაშაულებისა და კაცობრიობის წინააღმდეგ ჩადენილი დანაშაულების
6
დოკუმენტი აღწერს ომისა და კაცობრიობის წინააღმდეგ ჩადენილ
დანაშაულებს, საერთაშორისო ჰუმანიტარული სამართლის დარღვევებს, წამების,
არაადამიანური და ღირსების შემლახავი მოპყრობის ფაქტებს, მძიმე ფიზიკურ და
ფსიქოლოგიურ ტრავმებს, რუსეთის ფედერაციის შეიარაღებული ძალების მიერ
მოწყობილ საფილტრაციო ბანაკებსა და იქ გამოყენებულ უკანონო პრაქტიკას,
მშვიდობიანი მოსახლეობის წინააღმდეგ სამხედრო ძალის უკანონო გამოყენებას
სამოქალაქო პირების მასობრივი მკვლელობების ჩათვლით. თავმოყრილი
ინფორმაცია შეიცავს რუსეთის ავიაციისა და საარტილერიო შენაერთების მიერ
მშვიდობიანი მოსახლეობისა და სამოქალაქო ინფრასტრუქტურის - სამედიცინო
დაწესებულებების, საცხოვრებელი სახლების, ბავშვთა სახლების, საბავშვო ბაღების,
სკოლებისა და უნივერსიტეტების მიზანმიმართული განადგურების ეპიზოდებს;
მასობრივი ძალადობის, ყაჩაღობისა და ძარცვის, გატაცების, უკანონო ტყვეობის,
სამედიცინო დახმარებაზე უარის თქმის, გაუპატიურების მუქარისა და დახვრეტის
იმიტაციის შემთხვევებს.
7
განხორციელდა მიღებული ფაქტობრივი ინფორმაციის კატეგორიზაცია,
ინტერვიუებში აღწერილი ფაქტების სამართლებრივი შეფასება-ანალიზი, ანალიზის
გზით შემუშავდა კვლევის მიგნებები, რომლებიც წინამდებარე დოკუმენტის შემდგომ
თავებშია წარმოდგენილი.
8
საერთაშორისოსამართლებრივი ვალდებულებები
3
კონვენცია წამებისა და სხვა სახის სასტიკი, არაადამიანური ან ღირსების შემლახველი მოპყრობის და
დასჯის წინააღმდეგ, მუხლი 1
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წამების აკრძალვა აბსოლუტური ნორმაა და ვერც ერთი გამონაკლისი გარემოება ვერ
გაამართლებს მას. თავისუფლებააღკვეთილ პირებს უნდა მიეწოდოთ სათანადო
საკვები, წყალი, ტანსაცმელი, თავშესაფარი და სამედიცინო დახმარება. ჟენევის
კონვენციების საერთო მე-3 მუხლი კრძალავს4 პირის სიცოცხლისა და ფიზიკური
ხელშეუხებლობის ხელყოფას, კერძოდ, ნებისმიერი სახის მკვლელობას,
დასახიჩრებას, სასტიკ მოპყრობასა და წამებას, აგრეთვე, ღირსების შემლახველ,
შეურაცხმყოფელ და დამამცირებელ მოპყრობას. ინფორმაციის მოსაპოვებლად ძალის
გამოყენება აკრძალულია ჟენევის მეოთხე კონვენციის 31-ე მუხლით: „არავითარი
ფიზიკური ან მორალური იძულება არ უნდა განხორციელდეს დაცული პირების
მიმართ, განსაკუთრებით მათგან ან მესამე პირებისგან ინფორმაციის მისაღებად“.
ჟენევის კონვენციები იმპერატიულად ავალდებულებს კონფლიქტის მონაწილე
მხარეებს, უზრუნველყონ წითელი ჯვრის საერთაშორისო კომიტეტის წვდომა
დაკავებულ სამოქალაქო პირებთან და სამხედრო ტყვეებთან.5 ოკუპანტ სახელმწიფოს
არ შეუძლია აიძულოს საერთაშორისოსამართლებრივი მექანიზმებით დაცული
პირები, იმსახურონ მის შეიარაღებულ ძალებსა და დამხმარე დანაყოფებში.
დაუშვებელია ყოველგვარი ზეწოლა ან პროპაგანდა, რომელიც მიზნად ისახავს პირთა
ოკუპანტი სახელმწიფოს შეიარაღებულ ძალებში ნებაყოფლობით ჩარიცხვას.
4
1949 წლის 12 აგვისტოს ჟენევის კონვენციები, საერთო მესამე მუხლი
5 1949 წლის ჟენევის მეოთხე კონვენცია, მუხლი 51
10
ეკისრებათ სისხლისსამართლებრივი პასუხისმგებლობა ომის დანაშაულებისათვის,
როგორც სარდლობა-ხელმძღვანელობაზე პასუხისგებელთ.6
6
სისხლის სამართლის საერთაშორისო სასამართლოს წესდება მიღებული გაერთიანებული ერების
ორგანიზაციის უფლებამოსილ წარმომადგენელთა დიპლომატიურ კონფერენციაზე, 1998, მუხლი 7-8
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იმ ღირებულებათა და სამართლებრივ სიკეთეთა მნიშვნელობის
გათვალისწინებით, რომელთაც წამების აკრძალვა იცავს, ეს პრინციპი გარდაიქმნა და
ჩამოყალიბდა უპირატეს ნორმად და წარმოადგენს jus cogens, ე.ი. ნორმას, რომელიც
საერთაშორისო სამართლის იერარქიაში უფრო მაღალ საფეხურს იკავებს, ვიდრე
სახელშეკრულებო, ან ჩვეულებითი სამართლის ნორმები. იმ ფაქტს, რომ წამება
აკრძალულია საერთაშორისო სამართლის jus cogens ნორმით, მნიშვნელოვანი გავლენა
აქვს სახელმწიფოთაშორის და ინდივიდუალურ, შიდასახელმწიფოებრივ დონეზე.
სახელმწიფოთაშორის კონტექსტში ის ემსახურება წამებაზე ავტორიზაციის გამცემი
ნებისმიერი საკანონმდებლო, ადმინისტრაციული ან სასამართლო აქტის
საერთაშორისო დელეგიტიმაციას. ინდივიდუალურ დონეზე, ანუ
სისხლისსამართლებრივი პასუხისმგებლობის დადგენის თვალსაზრისით,
საერთაშორისო საზოგადოების მიერ წამების აკრძალვისათვის მინიჭებული jus cogens
ხასიათის ერთ-ერთი შედეგი ის არის, რომ სახელმწიფოებს გააჩნიათ ვალდებულება
გამოიძიონ, სისხლისსამართლებრივი დევნა განახორციელონ და დასაჯონ წამებაში
ბრალდებული პირი, ან განახორციელონ ასეთი პირების ექსტრადიცია, თუ ასეთები
იმყოფებიან სახელმწიფოს ტერიტორიაზე, მისი იურისდიქციის ქვეშ.7
7
Prosecutor V. Anto FURUNDZIJA, Judgement of 10 December 1998, Trial Chamber of the International Tribunal
for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in
the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991, par. 155-157
12
- ქმედებით, ან უმოქმედობით პირისთვის ძლიერი ფიზიკური, ან სულიერი
ტკივილის, ტანჯვის მიყენება;
- ამგვარი ქმედება ან უმოქმედობა ჩადენილი უნდა იყოს პირდაპირი
განზრახვით;
- ფიზიკური ან სულიერი ტკივილის, ტანჯვის მიყენება მიზნად უნდა
ისახავდეს ინფორმაციის ან აღიარებითი ჩვენების მოპოვებას, წამების
მსხვერპლის, ან მესამე პირის დასჯას, დაშინებას, დამცირებას ან იძულებას;
- წამების ფაქტი დაკავშირებული უნდა იყოს შეიარაღებული კონფლიქტის
შინაარსთან;
- წამების პროცესში ჩართული პირებიდან ერთი მაინც უნდა იყოს საჯარო,
სახელმწიფო მოხელე, ან ნებისმიერ შემთხვევაში უნდა მოქმედებდეს
არაკერძო სტატუსით, ე.ი. სახელმწიფო ორგანოს, ან სახელმწიფოსთან
დაკავშირებული ორგანიზაციის სახელით.8
8
Prosecutor V. Anto FURUNDZIJA, Judgement of 10 December 1998, Trial Chamber of the International Tribunal
for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in
the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991, par. 162
13
არამართებულ მოპყრობაზე აკეთებს, რომლის მიზანია გაანეიტრალოს პირის მხრიდან
წინააღმდეგობის გაწევის უნარი შიშისა და დამცირების გზით.9
9
წამების, არაადამიანური მოპყრობისა და დამამცირებელი მოპყრობისა და სასჯელის ცნებების
შემოთავაზებული ევოლუცია ეყრდნობა ადამიანის უფლებათა ევროპული სასამართლოს
გადაწვეტილებებში სასამართლოს მიერ მოყვანილ განმარტებებს.
დანია, ნორვეგია, შვედეთი და ნიდერლანდები საბერძნეთის წინააღმდეგ, 1969
ირლანდია გაერთიანებული სამეფოს წინააღმდეგ, 1978
14
ინტერვიუები
15
11. საფილტრაციო პუნქტებში, ტკივილის მიყენებით მიზნით, საომარ ვითარებაში
მიღებულ დამუშავებულ ჭრილობაზე სახვევის მოხსნა და ჭრილობის გაშიშვლება;
16
ინტერვიუ B
ინტერვიუ C
17
პუნქტში მამაკაცები გადაჰყავდათ ეგრეთ წოდებულ „გალიაში“, სადაც ისინი
დაკითხვას ელოდებოდნენ. დაკითხვისას ძირითადად ეკითხებოდნენ, იყო თუ არა
უკრაინის თავდაცვის ძალების წევრი, ან ჰქონდა თუ არა კავშირი უკრაინის
თავდაცვის ძალებთან დაკავშირებულ ვინმე პირთან. მთელი ამ დროის განმავლობაში
მას ჭურვის ნამსხვრევები ისევ თავში ჰონდა და სამედიცინო მომსახურების მიღება
მხოლოდ საქართველოში ჩამოსვლის შემდეგ მოახერხა. ინტერვიუს დროს
გამოვლინდა, რომ მას სიკვდილის მუდმივი შიში აქვს.
ინტერვიუ H
18
ინტერვიუ J
ინტერვიუ K
19
ინტერვიუ M
ინტერვიუ N
ინტერვიუ O
20
მოსახლეობა ყოველ დღე, 12:00 საათზე მშვიდობიანი აქციებით აპროტესტებდა.
რუსები დემონსტრაციებს სხვადასხვა საშუალებებით შლიდნენ, მათ შორის -
ადამიანებს ცეცხლსასროლი ავტომატური იარაღით ხვრეტნენ. მრავალმა მომიტინგემ
დაზიანება მიიღო. იყო შემთხვევა, როდესაც რუსულმა ტანკმა გადაუარა საკუთარ
ავტომობილში მჯდომ პენსიონერ ცოლ-ქმარს, რომლებიც ადგილზე გარდაიცვალნენ.
პიროვნება O შეესწრო ფაქტს, რომ რუსმა სამხედროებმა, მოსახლეობის დაშინების
მიზნით, ქალაქის ერთ-ერთი სავაჭრო ცენტრის მიმართულებით ტანკიდან დაიწყეს
სროლა. რუსებმა გადაწყვიტეს, ხერსონის მოსახლეობა რუსულ არმიაში შეეყვანათ და
უკრაინის წინააღმდეგ ომში გამოეყენებინათ, რის გამოც, პიროვნება O-მ ოჯახთან და
მეგობრებთან ერთად ქალაქი დატოვა.
ინტერვიუ Q
ინტერვიუ R
21
ადამიანი დაიღუპა. იყო მედიკამენტების და ზოგადად სამედიცინო მომსახურების
ძალიან სერიოზული დეფიციტი. მისი ნათესავი, რომელიც უბრალოდ ქუჩაში
მიდიოდა და არაფერი დაუშავებია, ნახიმოვის გამზირზე რუსმა სნაიპერმა მოკლა. მას
გულსა და ღვიძლში 2 ტყვია ჰქონდა მოხვედრილი - სასიკვდილო ჭრილობა
დამიზნებით. ქალაქის ქუჩები და ეზოები გვამებით იყო სავსე. ორ საცხოვრებელ
სახლთან 27 გვამი იყო, მათ შორის - ბავშვების. ეს იყო ძალიან მძიმე და საშინელი
სცენა მარიუპოლში. მან და მისმა ქმარმა ქალაქის დატოვება გადაწყვიტეს. მათ
უთხრეს, რომ მხოლოდ ქალებს და ბავშვებს აძლევდნენ ქალაქიდან გასვლის
უფლებას, მამაკაცებს კი არ უშვებდნენ. რუსებმა მარიუპოლიდან 18-იდან 60 წლამდე
მამაკაცები არ გაუშვეს.
ინტერვიუ S
22
ინტერვიუ T
ინტერვიუ U
23
ფონზე პირველი ჯგუფი ფეხით გაიყვანეს, რომელშიც ბავშვებიც შედიოდნენ.
პიროვნება U-მ რუს მეთაურს უთხრა, რომ არ წავიდოდა, რადგან ქმარი დაჭრილი იყო
და სიარული არ შეეძლო. მან უპასუხა: „ახლა თუ არ გამოხვალ, შენს ქმარს ვესვრი,
ბავშვებს კი ბავშვთა სახლს გადავცემ“, ამიტომ იძულებული გახდა, წასულიყო.
ინტერვიუ V
ინტერვიუ X
24
უკრაინის შეიარაღებული ძალების ფორმაში იყვნენ გამოწყობილები. რამდენიმე
სარდაფში ასე შევიდნენ, რათა ადამიანები მძევლებად აეყვანათ. 1 მარტიდან დაიწყო
ახალგაზრდა გოგონების გაუჩინარება. პიროვნება X-ის ვაჟი რუსულ საგუშაგოზე
იარაღის მუქარით მიიყვანეს. აიძულეს გაშიშვლება და ჰკითხეს, რას ნიშნავდა მისი
თითოეული ტატუ.
ინტერვიუ AB
25
ფსიქოლოგიური ომი
10
Longley, Robert. "An Introduction to Psychological Warfare." ThoughtCo, Dec. 6, 2021,
thoughtco.com/psychological-warfare-definition-4151867.
26
ფსიქოლოგიური ომის ცნების განსაზღვრისას აქცენტის მხოლოდ არასამხედრო
კომპონენტზე გადატანა ტექნოლოგიური პროგრესისა და დასავლური
დემოკრატიების მიერ საერთაშორისო ურთიერთობებში ძალის გამოყენებასა და
ძალის გამოყენების მუქარაზე უარის თქმის შედეგია. ფსიქოლოგიური ომის
წარმოების პირველადი მეთოდი საომარ მოქმედებებთან პირდაპირ იყო
დაკავშირებული და იმგვარი არმიის ყოლას, ან სამხედრო ძალის იმგვარ გამოსხივებას
გულისხმობდა, რომ მოწინააღმდეგე მხარეს წინააღმდეგობის გაწევის სურვილი
მარტივად დაეკარგა.11 ამ თვალსაზრისით, თანამედროვე რუსეთის მიერ მის უშუალო
სამეზობლოში გამოყენებული ფსიქოლოგიური ომის მოდელი უფრო მეცამეტე
საუკუნის მონღოლთა იმპერიის სამხედრო მოწყობას შეესაბამება, ვიდრე ოცდამეერთე
საუკუნის თანამედროვე ანალოგებს.
11
„მონღოლური მოლაპარაკება“ მეცამეტე საუკუნის ჩინგიზ ყაენის საომარი ტაქტიკის ნაწილია,
რომელიც გულისხმობს სამიზნე ქალაქის გარშემო არსებული საცხოვრებელი ინფრასტრუქტურის
სასტიკ, საჩვენებელ განადგურებას და ამის შემდეგ მოლაპარაკების შეთავაზებას, რაც ქალაქის
დანებებასა და ხარკის გადახდას გულისხმობდა.
27
კრემლისთვის სასურველი პირობებით მოლაპარაკების მისაღწევად,
უკრაინის პოლიტიკური და სამხედრო ხელმძღვანელობის
ფსიქოლოგიური/მორალური წნეხის ქვეშ მოქცევა - მათთვის ადამიანურ
მსხვერპლზე პასუხისმგებლობის დაკისრება.
5. უკრაინის თავდაცვის ძალების მორალური და ორგანიზაციული
დეგრადაცია;
6. უკრაინის მიმართ დასავლეთის მხარდაჭერის შესუსტება;
7. ომის გამომწვევი მიზეზების რუსული ვერსიის კულტივაცია უკრაინულ და
რუსულ საზოგადოებაში;
8. რუსეთის სამეზობლოს სხვა ქვეყნების საზოგადოებაში შიშის დათესვის
მიზნით, სისასტიკის მაგალითის ჩვენება.
12
მხოლოდ 1937-1938 წლებში საბჭოთა რეჟიმმა, როგორც მინიმუმ, 1.7 მილიონი ადამიანი დააპატიმრა,
რომელთაგან 700 000-ზე მეტი დახვრიტეს. ეს პერიოდი უმძიმესია თავისი მასშტაბით, თუმცა არა
გამონაკლისი. რუსეთის საბჭოთა იმპერიის არსებობის საწყის ეტაპზე გამართული „წითელი ტერორი“,
ე.წ. „განკულაკება“, ჰოლოდომორი უკრაინაში, იძულებით გადასახლებული ეთნიკური ჯგუფები,
„გულაგი“, როგორც სახელმწიფო ტერორის ფორმა, საბჭოთა ცხოვრების განუყოფელი ნაწილია და
უზენაეს ამოცანად საბჭოთა ტყვეობაში მცხოვრები ერების დაშინებას, კრემლისთვის მისაღები
ცხოვრების წესის გამტკიცებას ისახავდა მიზნად.
28
იმპერიის ღერძია - იმ იმპერიის, რომლის დაშლასაც ვლადიმერ პუტინი „მეოცე
საუკუნის უდიდეს გეოპოლიტიკურ კატასტროფას“ უწოდებს.
13
https://tsn.ua/en/ato/the-prosecutor-general-revealed-how-many-russian-torture-chambers-were-found-in-
the-liberated-territories
2467189.html#:~:text=Law%20enforcement%20officers%20discovered%20104,areas%20liberated%20from%20the
%20enemy
29
სისტემამ შეძლო ოთხი ძირითადი მიმართულებით სტრატეგიული ამოცანის
შესრულება.
30
4. თავდაცვისა და წინააღმდეგობის მიმართ საზოგადოებრივი მხარდაჭერის
შენარჩუნება - ომის პირველი ოთხი თვის განმავლობაში უკრაინის
მოქალაქეების შედეგიანმა წინააღმდეგობამ საზოგადოებაში გააჩინა განცდა,
რომ რუსეთის საოკუპაციო არმიის შეჩერება შესაძლებელია სამოქალაქო
წინააღმდეგობით, რაშიც უმნიშვნელოვანესი როლი ითამაშა უკრაინის
ტერიტორიული თავდაცვის სისტემამ. აღნიშნულმა საზოგადოებაში ქვეყნის
დაცვისა და საოკუპაციო ჯარისადმი წინააღმდეგობის მოტივაცია მკვეთრად
გაზარდა.
31
დასკვნის ნაცვლად
დიდება უკრაინას!
დიდება გმირებს!
14
A project of the International Republican Institute, center for insights in survey research, National Survey of
Ukraine, September 2023
32
Russian Terror: a Failed Attempt
Movement Droa
Tbilisi, 2024
33
Introduction
On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a full-scale, unprovoked war in Ukraine. This war
is distinct in many ways, including that the cases of torture and inhumane treatment organized
by the Kremlin on the European continent, the genocide committed against the Ukrainian
nation, the scale of the war and the crimes committed against humanity, all seem to have
revived for us the atrocities of the past century. The infrastructure of the torture of people
organized by the representatives of the Russian armed forces on the territory of Ukraine, the
anatomy of the facts of torture and the nature of the committed crimes allow for two main
conclusions:
3. Cases of tortures of Ukrainian civilians and military personnel are not separate crimes,
but a state policy elaborated by the highest military and political leadership of the
Russian Federation, and conducted in a centralized scheme;
4. The crimes of tortures committed against Ukrainian civilians and military personnel
not only serve the conventional purpose of the crime of torture under the UN
Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or
Punishment, but are also used as a weapon of psychological warfare.
There is an evident growing tendency of international consensus on the first of the above
conclusions. According to the statement of the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture on June 15,
2023, the torture committed by Russia in Ukraine may constitute a state-organized crime. The
intensity of the crime of torture and the methods used indicate the level of coordination,
planning and organization of the process by superior state institutions, as well as the direct
34
authorization and the commission of crimes within the framework of a well-thought-out
policy. 15
The analysis of the material collected within the scope of the research reveals that the
purpose of the human torture infrastructure created by the highest military and political
leadership of the Russian Federation on the territory of Ukraine is not just to inflict severe
physical or spiritual suffering and pain on individuals that aims to punish a person or to obtain
information, but the purpose is also the systematic use of the crime of torture as a mean of
psychological warfare. Based on the information received and analyzed within the research,
we can conclude that the physical and psychological torture of Ukrainian civilians and military
personnel is considered and used by the military-political leadership of the Russian Federation
as a method of fulfilling a strategic task, breaking the resistance of the Ukrainian people, and
their psychological neutralization.
4. Legal evaluation of the information obtained as a result of the research and reflected in
the document;
5. Analyzing the systematic practice of torture committed by the Russian Federation on
the territory of Ukraine in the context of psychological warfare;
6. Assessment of the impact of torture as a tool of psychological warfare.
15 The UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Alice Jill Edwards, „Widespread use of torture by Russian
military in Ukraine appears deliberate: UN expert“
https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2023/06/widespread-use-torture-russian-military-ukraine-
appears-deliberate-un-expert
35
Context and Research Methodology
After the start of Russia's full-scale, unprovoked war in Ukraine on February 24, 2022,
Georgia became a safe haven for thousands of Ukrainian refugees. Due to the lack of special
state assistance programs for Ukrainian citizens who came to Georgia from the cities of Eastern
Ukraine (Mariupol, Melitopol, Kherson, Mykolaiv, Berdyansk, etc.), their accommodation in
Georgia, provision of necessary medical support and medicines, organization of educational,
cultural and social integration projects, has almost completely been undertaken by the
Georgian society, private initiatives, private sector and civic groups. The Movement "Droa",
with the participation and assistance from Georgian citizens, businesses and international
donor organizations, has been carrying out the project of providing all kinds of services for the
refugees who entered the territory of Georgia from Ukraine since the beginning of the war.
The first collection of stories told by the refugees placed in special shelters arranged and
managed by the Movement "Droa" was published in the form of the "War Diaries" in 2022.
The data collected in the present study is based on the information provided by them through
interviews conducted in accordance with international standards.
As part of the research, 27 refugees from Ukraine were interviewed. Their personal
data is confidential. Accordingly, in the document, their names and surnames are given in
alphabetical order without identifying any personal information.16
16 The presented analytical document is a part of the project, within the framework of which 27
interviews were conducted with refugees in Georgia from different cities of Ukraine. The goal of the
project is to provide the Ukrainian side with documented cases of torture, inhuman and degrading
treatment, war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the representatives of the Russian
Armed Forces. The interviews were conducted according to international standards; the material in
this document is provided with personal data protection, full information is provided to the project
donor and the relevant structures of Ukraine.
36
The document describes war crimes and crimes against humanity, violations of
international humanitarian law, facts of torture, inhumane and degrading treatment, severe
physical and psychological injuries, the filtration camps set up by the Armed Forces of the
Russian Federation and illegal practices used there, illegal use of military force against the
civilian population, including mass killings of civilians. The collected information contains
episodes of deliberate destruction of civilians and civilian infrastructure – medical institutions
and hospitals, residential homes, orphanages, kindergartens, schools and universities – by
Russian aviation and artillery units; Cases of mass violence, thieveries and robberies,
kidnapping, illegal captivity, denial of medical care, threats of rape and simulated shooting.
The information obtained as a result of the interviews confirms that the violations listed
above took place not only in the zone of military operations, but also outside of it. Reliving
stressful events have severe consequences, which in some cases manifest in acute stress
disorder, severe depression, panic attacks, fear of death and fear of losing loved ones. In order
to avoid the risk of retraumatization during the interviewing process, each interview, apart
from the consent of the person questioned, was conducted with the permission of a
psychologist with their direct involvement in the process and in accordance with the
instructions.
37
International legal obligations
According to Article 1 of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman
or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, the term "torture" means any act by which severe
pain or suffering, physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person, for purposes such
as To obtain information or confession from a person, to punish him for an act which he or a
third person has committed or is suspected of having committed, or to intimidate or coerce
him or a third person, or to discriminate against him of any nature for any reason, where such
pain or suffering is caused to a public official, or by another person acting in an official
capacity, or at his instigation, or with his permission, or with his tacit consent. It does not
include pain or suffering which results solely from, is essentially inseparable from, or is
incidental to, legal sanctions.17
The parties to the ongoing war in Ukraine are obliged to observe international
humanitarian law, norms governing war and armed conflicts, including the Geneva
Conventions of 1949, the First Additional Protocol to the Geneva Conventions, and customary
international law. The regulatory field is also represented by international human rights law,
including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the European
Convention on Human Rights. The prohibition of torture and other forms of cruel treatment
is one of the fundamental prohibitions in international humanitarian and human rights law.
The prohibition of torture is an absolute norm and no exceptional circumstances can justify it.
Persons deprived of their liberty must be provided with adequate food, water, clothing, shelter
and medical care. Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions18 prohibits violation of a
person's life and physical integrity, in particular, any kind of killing, maiming, cruel treatment
and torture, as well as degrading, insulting and humiliating treatment. The use of force to
17 Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment,
Article 1
18 Geneva Conventions of August 12, 1949, common article three
38
obtain information is prohibited by the Article 31 of the Fourth Geneva Convention: "No
physical or moral coercion shall be applied to protected persons, in particular to obtain
information from them or from third parties." The Geneva Conventions imperatively obligate
the parties to the conflict to provide the International Committee of the Red Cross with access
to detained civilians and prisoners of war.19 The occupying power cannot compel persons
protected by international legal mechanisms to serve in its armed forces and auxiliary units.
Any pressure or propaganda aimed at the voluntary enlistment of persons into the armed forces
of the occupying state is not allowed.
39
wounded, if they are not a military target, looting of a city or settlement, violation of human
dignity, insulting and humiliating treatment are crimes against humanity and war.
Under the Geneva Conventions, parties to war or armed conflict have an obligation to
investigate alleged war crimes committed by their forces or on their territory and to punish
the perpetrators accordingly. Victims of violence and their families must receive prompt and
adequate compensation.
Considering the importance of the values and legal goods that are protected by the
prohibition of torture, this principle was transformed and developed into a superior norm, thus
representing jus cogens, i. e. a norm that occupies a higher level in the hierarchy of
international law than treaty or customary law norms. The fact that torture is prohibited by
the jus cogens norm of international law has significant implications at the inter-state and
individual, domestic level. In an interstate context, it serves to internationally delegitimize any
legislative, administrative or judicial act authorizing torture.
Although the jus cogens norm of the prohibition of torture represents an absolute
prohibition and is equally valid in a state of peace and war, international law knows the
precedents of defining different components for the crime of torture committed in a state of
war. According to the definition proposed by the Judicial Panel of the Tribunal of Yugoslavia,
40
the composition of the crime of torture during an armed conflict requires the following
elements:
41
the purpose of which is to neutralize the person's ability to resist through fear and
humiliation.23
The information given in the present chapter of the paper, about the crime of torture,
war and crimes against humanity is directly related with the information provided by the
people interviewed within the framework of the study. The information obtained during the
interviews and reflected in the analytical document provides the basis for the conclusion that
each person involved in the research became a victim of torture, inhuman and degrading
treatment and punishment, which, in many cases, has a severe impact on their daily life.
23 The proposed evolution of the concepts of torture, inhuman and degrading treatment and
punishment is based on the definitions provided by the Court in the judgments of the European Court
of Human Rights
Denmark, Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands v Greece, 1969;
Ireland v United Kingdom, 1978
42
Interviews
Interviews within the framework of the research revealed a number of facts of torture,
inhuman and degrading treatment; As well as actions committed by the Armed Forces of the
Russian Federation, which may be classified as war crimes and crimes against humanity. In
particular, the stories provided by the respondents include the following facts:
5. Intentional infliction of severe damage to the health of individuals; (injury to the head/back)
6. Killing of civilians;
8. Undressing people in the filtration camps – as a form of inhuman, demeaning and degrading
treatment;
10. Blindfolding/putting an opaque bag on the head of civilian and taking them away in
undisclosed directions;
11. Removing the bandages from treated wartime wounds and exposing them in order to inflict
pain;
43
13. Placing people in cages in the filtration camp of village Chonhar of the Kherson region;
17. Beating civilians to death and dumping the bodies of all the dead in the streets and markets
of populated areas;
18. Kidnapping of civilians from the occupied/annexed territories of Ukraine for the purpose
of their forced participation in the war;
21. Deprivation of food, water, and heating; placing them in inhuman conditions.
This document includes part of the interviews obtained within the scope of the research.
Interview B
Person B, a 35-year-old Ukrainian citizen, is a civilian who still suffers from severe stress.
During the war, the person was under constant pressure in their hometown of Mariupol, as
the Russian military systematically searched homes and civilians were subject to
pressure/threats from them. The Russians demanded information about the Ukrainian Defense
Forces – in particular, whether Ukrainian military personnel were present in their homes, or
whether they had relatives or acquaintances in the Ukrainian Defense Forces.
Person B personally witnessed how Russian soldiers killed a Ukrainian civilian from a car. For
two weeks they watched the corpse of a man lying on the street. Due to the massive bombing,
44
burying him was impossible. Person B was also personally wounded by Russian soldiers. They
had neither a medicine nor a way to go to a hospital. Person B and their brother had to go
through several checkpoints and filtration camps where they were searched, and where, in
order to inflict pain, bandages on their wounded backs were removed; they were verbally
abused and forced to take off their clothes. At the filtration camp, they witnessed how several
people were arrested – their hands tied with sticky tape, bags covering their heads – and taken
away in an unknown direction.
Interview C
On February 25, 2022, as a result of shelling of the city of Kherson, 29-year-old person C
received bodily injuries – in particular, a shrapnel hit his head. He witnessed how the Russian
military brutally tortured a Ukrainian citizen. Person C was forced to leave the country. He
was interrogated and searched at the Lars and Chonhar border filtration points. At the Chongar
filtration point, males were placed in a so-called “cage” where they awaited interrogation. The
interrogation mainly asked whether he was a member of the Ukrainian Defense Forces or
whether he had any connection with anyone associated with the Ukrainian Defense Forces.
During all this time, he still had the shrapnel in his head, and he managed to get medical help
only after arriving in Georgia. During the interview, it became evident that he is constantly
afraid of death.
Interview H
Person H is a 39-year-old Ukrainian civilian from Melitopol. He recalls how the Russian
military occupied the Melitopol church and the so-called “Kirov Bazaar.” Chechen militants
brutally beat civilians on the playground. Person H witnessed this fact and saw a beaten man
fully covered in blood, but due to stress and fear, he was unable to help him. Person H recalls
reports that the Russian military planned to recruit all Ukrainian men under the age of 65 to
participate in Melitopol military operations against the Ukrainian Defense Forces. The
population tried to leave the territory through a humanitarian corridor organized by Ukraine,
45
but the Russian military prevented them from doing so. Person H and his friend left Melitopol
towards Crimea. On the way to the village of Chonhar, they passed 8 checkpoints, where they
had to get outside and get undressed. After that, they were transferred to a territory
surrounded by a metal structure, “the cage”. In the “cage” where they were beaten with a gun
buttstock. In there, he witnessed facts of how the Russian military tortured his compatriots
physically and psychologically and threatened to rape them.
Interview with J
Person J – 41 years old, Ukraine, Mariupol. They recall that the bombing began every day at
15:00. The Russians shot at kindergartens and schools and carried out the so-called “cleansing”.
They were looking for Ukrainian soldiers. They entered houses and used gun buttstocks to
break everything – furniture and walls of houses. Children were shot with machine guns and
forced to show what was inside the building. The Russian military set up checkpoints at every
step – they undressed and checked every man in the cold. If anyone was outside during curfew,
they would be shot immediately. They bombed residential buildings. After one of these
attacks, the family of J left Mariupol on foot.
Interview K
Person K – 31 years old, Mariupol. A few days after the start of the war, he was going to visit
his child in the Primorsky region. He had to live lacking water, food, and electricity. At one
of the exits, he saw a market covered with corpses. On the way, he met Russian soldiers who
stopped him, pointed a gun at him, and asked if he was from Azov; He was undressed and
examined as they looked for tattoos.
He saw how Russian soldiers, without any warning, fired at a car driven by a woman. He also
saw a truck full of the corpses of Ukrainians. One day, having arrived at his child’s place, he
discovered that the building had been destroyed. He learned that his child and its mother
managed to escape. He himself had to leave Mariupol and go through several checkpoints. At
46
checkpoints, on the streets, they were stripped in the cold. At one of the filtration points,
people were beaten and tortured before his eyes.
Interview M
Person M - 40 years old, citizen of Ukraine, from Donetsk-Mariupol. She and her family were
subjected to verbal abuse and humiliation by the Russian military. Her husband's uncle died,
and when they asked to bury him, the Russian military showed them a place where there were
about 600 more corpses and offered to identify the relative. They had to remain next to the
corpses for 3 days. The right to burial was obtained after paying a bribe in the amount of 15
thousand Ukrainian hryvnia. She and her family could not leave the city for a long time,
because the “green corridors” organized as a result of negotiations were massively bombed. On
her way out of the city, she passed through a filtration zone where she was interrogated,
humiliated, and ridiculed. She witnessed how some men had a black bag put over their heads,
their hands tied, and taken away in an unknown direction.
Interview N
Person N – a citizen of Ukraine, 51 years old, from Donetsk-Mariupol. From February 26,
electricity was no longer supplied to the city, water supply and natural gas supplies were
stopped, and all means of communication were cut. From March 2, the intensity of the
bombing increased and it became impossible to go outside. There was an acute shortage of
water and food. There was a spring not far from the sea, from which water could be supplied,
but there were corpses lying around the spring. They had to drink the water retained in the
heating system and radiators. Their 40-year-old friend, who left home out of necessity, was
killed by the Russians on their way, as was their student, who went out to collect firewood.
Interview O
Person O is a 34-year-old citizen of Ukraine from the city of Kherson. In early March, the
Russians illegally occupied the city of Kherson, to which Kherson residents protested with
47
peaceful demonstrations every day at 12:00. The Russians suppressed the demonstrations in a
variety of ways, including shooting people with automatic weapons. Many protesters were
injured. There was a case when a Russian tank ran over a retired married couple in their own
car, killing them both on the spot. Person O witnessed how the Russian military, in order to
intimidate the population, began firing from a tank in the direction of one of the city's
shopping centers. The Russians decided to recruit Kherson residents into the Russian army and
use them in the war against Ukraine, so Person O left the city with their family and friends.
Interview Q
Person Q – 35 years old, from Donetsk. After the start of the war, it became very dangerous to
be in a residential building. Because of this, they and their family moved to a gas station. In
the beginning, it was possible to buy drinking water, but later the water problem became more
and more serious. People often drank rainwater and melted snow. They saw with their own
eyes how people drank water from mud puddles on the street. Their house was bombed and
burned down. Moving to the Ukrainian-controlled territory was very dangerous and basically
impossible since the Russians did not allow anyone to move safely. In addition, they learned
that the Russians were shooting at civilians and buses trying to depart from Mariupol.
Interview R
Person R – 49 years old, Mariupol. On March 3, 2022, the Russians began shelling the central
part of the city from Berdyansk. In the following days, a bomb fell in a nearby yard, killing a
man standing in line at a store. There was a very serious shortage of medicines and medical
services in general. Her relative, who was simply walking down the street and did nothing
wrong, was killed by a Russian sniper on Nakhimov Avenue. He had 2 bullets in his heart and
liver – a targeted fatal wound. The streets and courtyards of the city were full of corpses. 27
corpses, including children, were found near two residential buildings. It was a very difficult
and scary scene in Mariupol. She and her husband decided to leave the city. They were told
48
that only women and children were allowed to leave the city, not men. The Russians did not
allow men aged 18 to 60 to leave Mariupol.
Interview S
Person S – 37 years old, Mariupol. On February 24, 2022, they were awakened by the sound
of a rocket at 5 am. An hour later, the second rocket fired by the Russians destroyed 2-3 houses.
So, almost all the residents moved to the basements. A curfew was imposed. The Russians
bombed and destroyed water carriers that supplied drinking water to the population. The
planes operated at low altitudes and fired at residential buildings and civilians. The Russians
did not allow civilians in the Ukrainian-controlled parts to leave the city. Those who dared to
travel to Russia were transferred to undisclosed Russian camps. One of the hardest days was
April 1. People went out to supply water from the basement – just 800 meters away; The
Russians opened fire on them, firing from machine guns and tanks for no reason. 4 people died.
One of the elderly was blown up by a mine and died in the arms of S.
Interview T
Person T – 48 years old, Mariupol. The city was bombed every 20 minutes. There was nothing
left of the Kirovsky district; it was razed to the ground. She saw with her own eyes how people
jumped and fell from windows, and also saw a man, walking with his dog, hit by a shell and
turned to ashes. There was an information vacuum, there were no means of communication
and they could not find out what was happening. The Russians used some kind of flammable
substances and burned everything so that not a trace remained of the dead. They tried to leave
the city. There were street battles. Civilians fled under shelling and bombs. They were filtered
in Nikolsk, where their fingerprints were taken and they were interrogated. During
interrogation, they were threatened with death, and Person T's husband was threatened with
rape.
49
Interview U
Person U – 36 years old, from Mariupol. On February 25, 2022, she and her family moved into
the basement of the house. Her grandmother had a stroke from fear and died. From March 5
to 15, a water carrier moved around the city, distributing drinking water to the population and
distributing 5-10 liters of water to each resident, but the Russians destroyed this vehicle. On
March 7 or 8, the Russians attacked the bomb shelter and bombed it. People died in the bomb
shelter because there was no way to help the sick and wounded. The streets were filled with
the corpses of civilians. Those who went to fetch water did not know whether they would
return alive, as the Russian military opened fire on civilians. Person U’s husband was also
seriously injured. On April 16, a Russian soldier came to the bomb shelter and said that he was
the commander of the 9th Marine Corps of the Russian Armed Forces. He stated that he would
take civilians out, recording it on video. Being recorded, the first group was taken on foot,
including children. Person U told the Russian commander that she would not go because her
husband was wounded and could not walk. He replied: “If you don’t come out now, I will
shoot your husband and send the children to an orphanage,” so she had to leave.
Interview V
Person V– 25 years old, Zaporizhzhia, Melitopol. On April 24, 2022, before leaving, he learned
that the occupiers in Kherson were going to hold a “referendum” and mobilize local youth, as
well as forcibly recruit boys from the Donetsk, Luhansk, and Crimean regions to fight against
Ukraine. Person V figured that the same would happen to him, and therefore decided to leave
the city. On his way to Crimea, he passed 10 Russian checkpoints. At some checkpoints, people
were pulled out of their cars and forced to take off their trousers and shirts. Physical and
psychological abuse by the Russian military took the form of physical or verbal violence; They
were also forced to do push-ups, clean toilets, were forced to squat, lie on their backs, and
stand on one leg while wearing a heavy bronze vest. Person V was taken to the administrative
building of the checkpoint. His documents and phone were checked. After examining him,
50
they beat him and threatened to rape and kill him. He was eventually taken to a military camp
where he was tortured.
Interview X
Person X – 49 years old, from the city of Kherson. On February 28, 2022, the city was bombed
and Russian ground forces entered, so they took refuge in the basement. Before their eyes, 68
fighters of the Kherson territorial defense were killed. Russian soldiers shot at cars and people.
There were cases when Russian soldiers were dressed in the uniforms of Ukrainian armed
forces, appropriated from killed Ukrainian soldiers. Through this deceit, several basements
were penetrated with the aim of taking people hostages. On March 1, young girls began to
disappear. Person X's son was taken at gunpoint to a Russian checkpoint. They forced him to
take off his clothes and asked him what each of his tattoos meant.
Interview AB
Person AB – 39 years old, from Donetsk region. On March 2, 2022, mobile communications
were turned off and the population found itself in a complete information vacuum. On the
same day, water and electricity supplies were cut off in the city. The Russians attacked power
plants and water supplies. By March 6-7, the gas supply to the city was also cut. This time the
city was bombed by the so-called “Grad” shells, which hit a store, killing civilians. The
Ukrainian military warned residents to leave the area immediately. Their friend died during
the events in Mariupol, hit by a shell fragment while they (the friend) were sitting in their car.
Their relatives disappeared and have not been found to this day. Their houses were completely
destroyed as a result of Russian bombing. They saw with their own eyes the corpses of four
people who were cooking food by the fire in the courtyard of one of the buildings and were
shot on the spot by the Russians.
51
Psychological Warfare
52
employed by present-day Russia in its neighboring countries bears more resemblance to the
military tactics of the thirteenth-century Mongol Empire than to contemporary approaches.
Unlike modern counterparts, Russia's model integrates military components, echoing
historical precedents where military power was central to psychological warfare strategies25.
This approach prioritizes leveraging military strength to influence the psychological landscape
of neighboring states, akin to the strategic maneuvers of ancient empires rather than
contemporary norms in international relations.
1. Instill fear within Ukrainian society, erode morale, induce disorder and panic, and
dismantle the resilience of the Ukrainian population.
2. Undermine trust between the Ukrainian population and its political leadership.
3. Undermine trust between the civilian-political and military leadership within
Ukraine.
4. Establish a systematic infrastructure for brutal extermination, torture, and
inhumane treatment of civilians to compel negotiations on terms favorable to the
Kremlin, exerting psychological and moral pressure on Ukrainian political and
military leadership by holding them accountable for human casualties.
5. Induce moral and organizational decay within the Ukrainian Defense Forces.
6. Diminish Western support for Ukraine.
7. Propagate the Russian narrative regarding the war's causes within Ukrainian and
Russian societies.
25"Mongol negotiation" is part of the thirteenth-century war tactics of Genghis Khan, which involved
the brutal, demonstrative destruction of the residential infrastructure around a target city, and then
offering to negotiate, which involved surrendering the city and paying tribute.
53
8. Exemplify cruelty to instill fear within the societies of other neighboring countries
of Russia.
The documented facts of torture, inhumane treatment, and other grave violations
perpetrated by Russian Federation armed forces serve as compelling evidence to suggest that
the torture infrastructure established by the Kremlin within Ukrainian territory aligns with
Russian state policy objectives. Primarily, this infrastructure serves the aforementioned
strategic goals. Such practices echo historical precedents observed in the Russian Empire,
where the use of torture as a way to advance the political and strategic aims of the state was
not uncommon.26 Terror as a governance model harkens back to the Soviet era, the end of
which Vladimir Putin has characterized as "the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the
twentieth century."
In order to get a general picture, the specifics of the facts of torture revealed within the
scope of this research should be analyzed in combination with other crimes committed by
Russia on the territory of Ukraine27. According to data from the Prosecutor General of Ukraine,
across eight regions liberated by the Ukrainian Defense Forces, a total of 104 buildings were
identified as sites specifically prepared by Russian Armed Forces representatives for the torture
of Ukrainian civilians and prisoners of war. These locations include 18 in the Zaporozhye
26During the years 1937-1938 alone, the Soviet regime incarcerated a minimum of 1.7 million
individuals, with over 700,000 of them subjected to execution by firing squad. This period stands out
for its unparalleled scale, but it is by no means an anomaly. The "Red Terror" initiated during the
early stages of the Russian Soviet Empire, Holodomor in Ukraine, the forced displacement of ethnic
groups, and the pervasive system of the "Gulag" as a tool of state terror were integral components of
Soviet existence. The overarching objective was to instill fear among the nations subjected to Soviet
rule and to impose a way of life acceptable to the Kremlin.
27https://tsn.ua/en/ato/the-prosecutor-general-revealed-how-many-russian-torture-chambers-were-
found-in-the-liberated-territories
2467189.html#:~:text=Law%20enforcement%20officers%20discovered%20104,areas%20liberated%2
0from%20the%20enemy
54
district, 11 in the Kherson district, 10 in the Donetsk region, 25 in the Kharkiv region, and so
forth. Such findings strongly suggest a centrally coordinated management system and the
widespread nature of torture practices.
Furthermore, the utilization of torture by the Russian armed forces in Ukraine must be
understood within the framework of asymmetrical warfare tactics employed by Russia against
the civilian populace. Asymmetric warfare involves the use of non-traditional combat
strategies and tactics, often necessitated by either the inability to achieve desired outcomes
through conventional military means or significant disparities in strategic capabilities between
adversaries. In this context, the notable initial resistance displayed by the Ukrainian
population assumes significance, thwarting the Kremlin's initial objective of swiftly occupying
Ukrainian territory, including the capital city of Kiev, within a matter of days. The Ukrainian
populace and the territorial defense system successfully executed strategic objectives across
four primary fronts.
1. Inflicting both direct and indirect damage on the occupying power can alter their
strategic calculus, tipping the balance between the perceived benefits and costs of
the occupation and compelling them to withdraw. In the initial four months of the
conflict, Ukrainian civilians strategically targeted occupying forces, yielding
significant tactical gains.
2. Foreign support organization - in the initial four months of the conflict, Ukrainian
civilian resistance achieved two pivotal outcomes:
a) The preservation of the democratically elected and legitimate government within
Ukraine. Despite the occupying force's efforts to alter the country's governance
through violence, the existing system remained intact;
b). Against the backdrop of civil resistance, the Ukrainian government was given
time to gain foreign support, which was manifested by financial, military, political
support from the West, as well as the imposition of sanctions against Russia.
55
3. Through civil resistance, Ukraine successfully thwarted the potential political
and economic consolidation of the occupying force within its territory. Despite the
military invasion, Russia was unable to establish itself as a credible guarantor of
political and economic stability in the occupied regions. On the contrary, civil
resistance bolstered President Zelensky's public perception as the guardian of
Ukraine's state sovereignty, territorial integrity, and constitutional order
4. Maintaining public support for defense and resistance - the effective resistance
of Ukrainian citizens during the first four months of the war created a feeling in the
public that the Russian occupation army could be stopped by civil resistance, in
which the territorial defense system of Ukraine played an important role. This has
dramatically increased the motivation of the society to protect the country and
resist the occupation army.
Considering the four aforementioned facts, the primary objective for the occupier was
to subdue the resistance of Ukrainian society, a feat unattainable for the Russian armed forces
through conventional military tactics alone. Hence, the reliance on terror as the primary
combat strategy was necessitated by this circumstance.
56
Conclusion
The provided data underscores that the acts of torture perpetrated by the Russian armed
forces within Ukraine, purportedly aimed at quelling Ukrainian civil resistance, likely through
psychological coercion, have failed to achieve their intended objectives.
28A project of the International Republican Institute, center for insights in survey research, National
Survey of Ukraine, September 2023
57
References
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