russian forces used educational institutions in the Sumy and Kherson oblasts to station personnel and military equipment, torture and interrogate civilians

This was revealed in a report prepared by the team of the project “Education at Gunpoint: (Kherson and Sumy regions)” of the Educational Human Rights House in Chernihiv. The report is based on the monitoring of attacks on educational institutions during russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The monitoring identified possible violations of international humanitarian law that may constitute war crimes.

The findings were discussed during the presentation of the report at the Media Center Ukraine.

The report includes information on 29 educational institutions, 28 of which were in operation as of February 2022. According to Yana Sobko, communications manager and war crimes documenter, Educational Human Rights House Chernihiv, the attacks revealed certain patterns.

For example, russian forces primarily used schools to station personnel, store ammunition, and park military vehicles. These sites were also used as firing positions. Some facilities were repurposed as torture chambers or for interrogation of civilians.

“For example, the Liubymivka gymnasium in the Kherson oblast – its school accountant was interrogated for over 8 hours. Similarly, the Arkhangelske  lyceum in the Kherson oblast was used as a torture site, where locals were subjected to physical and psychological violence during interrogations,” Sobko reported.

She also noted that in many cases the russian military lived in the educational facilities, using classrooms as makeshift toilets and dormitories, and vandalizing walls. In addition, they looted schools and took valuable items.

“For example, the agricultural college in the Sumy oblast was occupied for eight days. During that time, russians soldiers destroyed almost everything, stole valuable items, and even dismantled microscopes to take their parts,” Sobko added.

According to her, in some cases, the occupiers left booby traps or mines in educational institutions when they left.

Read more: https://mediacenter.org.ua/news