Unearthing the evidence of Russia’s war crimes in east Ukraine The incident is among thousands under investigation by Ukrainian authorities, who are treating Russia’s invasion not only as a war but also as a series of war crimes.But it reveals the challenges of that approach, especially during a large-scale armed conflict like the Ukraine war.An investigation by Global News has found that overwhelmed prosecutors failed to conduct basic groundwork before publicly announcing their findings and their suspect, a Russian commander.The family was not interviewed.
Captured Russian soldiers who were prosecution witnesses were allowed to leave the country in prisoner swaps. A crucial piece of evidence, the car in which Rita was killed, was sold.“The world should know what happened,” said Rita’s mother, Liudmyla Horbyk.But that is the problem: What happened?Rita was a Grade 7 student at the Vilkhivka School, an only child who lived with her parents and grandfather on his property in Stepanki, a village east of Kharkiv.She collected books, loved animals and made sure the local cats and dogs fed.
She was a dancer and was always doing something with her hands. She hoped to become a dentist and was learning Korean online, dreaming of travelling to Seoul.
The neighbours adored her.“Rita was like one of our own kids,” said Natalia Karikova, who lives down the road from the Horbyks. “When she was walking to school she would join us and talk to us,” she said.“She was a very good girl.”On Feb.