The chief of Ukraine's defense intelligence, Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov, has said that Kyiv is aware of Russian "execution lists" targeting teachers, journalists, and Ukrainian priests, among others.
"[The execution lists] were supposed to include teachers of the Ukrainian language, literature, history, ATO [Anti-Terrorist Operation] veterans, journalists, scientists, writers, priests of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and other denominations who supported Ukraine, public and political figures, heads of state authorities and self-government," said Budanov.
A release from the agency also said that "maniacal" instructions were implemented in different regions of Ukraine invaded by Russia.
Budanov added: "We have seen horrific mass crimes against Ukrainian citizens, the facts of which have become known to the whole world.
"The atrocities of units of the Russian armed forces in Borodyanka, Bucha, Hostomel, Izyum, Mariupol and many other settlements of Ukraine showed that these identical and synchronized actions were based on clear doctrinal provisions of the Russian genocidal policy of the authorities and military leadership."
The intelligence head also said that "Ukrainophobia" has affected the entire society of Russia.
"The genocide of Ukrainians is not only the state policy of the Russian Federation, but also a mandatory social conviction from above," he said.
Newsweek contacted Russian authorities for comment on Saturday outside of standard working hours.
Budanov's comments follow several significant developments in the Russia-Ukraine conflict over the past week.
On Tuesday, Moscow launched a hypersonic missile strike on the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro, targeting a military facility. The attack utilized the experimental Oreshnik hypersonic missile, an intermediate-range weapon reportedly capable of carrying either nuclear or conventional warheads.
In a televised address, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the strike was a response to Ukraine's deployment of U.S. and British long-range missiles, which have been used to target sites within Russia. "No one in the world has weapons like these," Putin said.
This followed President Joe Biden's recent decision to authorize the use of U.S.-supplied Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) for strikes inside Russian territory—a significant policy shift announced last weekend. Kyiv had long been advocating for access to these missiles. Biden justified the move as a response to the involvement of North Korean troops in the conflict.
"ATACMS will significantly enhance Ukraine's ability to disrupt Russian operations deep behind the front lines," Andriy Zagorodnyuk, Ukraine's former defense minister, told the Financial Times. "These missiles allow us to address high-value targets that other systems cannot."
Do you have a story we should be covering? Do you have any questions about this article or the war in Ukraine? Contact LiveNews@newsweek.com
English (US) ·