Mykytenko Anna, Vishchyk Maksym. “All our hope is in the famine”: Why an investigation into starvation crimes in Ukraine is urgently needed
Before diving into the discussion, it is necessary to outline the term “starvation crimes”, which we define as the intentional deprivation of objects indispensable to the survival of civilians (OIS) intended to cause starvation. This involves impeding the capacity of targeted civilians to access the means of sustaining life.
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine is associated with a range of starvation-related tactics, such as sieges, obstruction of humanitarian access, pillaging of agricultural machinery and shelling of OIS. The significant number of such incidents has led some to question whether this is part of a deliberate policy by Russia to coerce and starve the population of Ukraine into submission. While destruction, damage or pillage of agricultural facilities are directly linked to possible war crimes, other tactics are disguised, e.g. promises to unblock ports and allow grain export from Ukraine in exchange for lifting sanctions imposed on Russia, which would inevitably feed its war machine.
