Russia Accused of Starvation Tactics in Mariupol

On 13 June 2024, legal experts from Global Rights Compliance submitted an analysis to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, alleging that Russia deployed starvation tactics during the 85-day siege of Mariupol, Ukraine, in early 2022.

The report, created in collaboration with the Ukrainian government, suggests that the Russian military systematically cut off critical supplies and services, potentially constituting war crimes. It is estimated that 22,000 civilians died amidst severe shortages of food, water, gas, and electricity as temperatures dropped below minus 10°C.

Structured in four phases, the siege began with attacks on civilian infrastructure, followed by denying and attacking humanitarian evacuations, targeting remaining infrastructure, and conducting strategic attacks to destroy or capture any remaining facilities. The dossier claims up to 90% of healthcare facilities and homes were damaged or destroyed, and food distribution points were bombed.

Catriona Murdoch, a partner at Global Rights Compliance, argued that the evidence shows a clear intent by Russian leaders, including President Vladimir Putin, to harm civilians through denial of essential services.

The ICC has been approached to consider these starvation tactics as war crimes, a relatively new area in international law. This comes shortly after the ICC’s chief prosecutor sought arrest warrants for Israeli officials for similar allegations in Gaza, marking a growing legal focus on starvation as a war crime.