The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, announced data regarding the scale of Russia’s attacks over the past week, emphasizing the increase in Russian revenues from crude oil sales due to the easing of sanctions. According to him, this provides Russia with a sense of impunity and allows it to continue its aggression against Ukraine.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Increase in Attacks: Drones, Aerial Bombs, and Missiles
According to information released by Volodymyr Zelensky, in just one week, the Russian Federation launched nearly 1,550 strike drones, over 1,260 guided aerial bombs, and two missiles at the territory of Ukraine. Such mass attacks have caused significant destruction to Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure in various regions of the country.
Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized that it is the financial revenues from oil exports that enable Russia to sustain its military machine. The President stressed the need to intensify sanctions pressure and control over the so-called “shadow fleet” of Russia, which transports oil to Europe and other regions. Zelensky called for the blocking of tankers that finance the war and thanked the leaders of countries that make the necessary decisions to bring about a just peace.
“Revenues give Russia a sense of impunity and the ability to continue the war. Therefore, the pressure must continue, and the sanctions must work. The shadow fleet of Russia should not feel safe in European waters or any others. Tankers that support the war budget can and must be stopped and blocked, not just let go. I thank every leader who makes the necessary decisions. This is what brings us closer to a dignified peace”
New Changes in Sanctions and International Reaction
On March 12, the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump issued a temporary license allowing countries to purchase Russian crude oil and petroleum products that were already on vessels as of that date. The permit is valid until April 11 and applies only to a limited number of shipments. This decision has been criticized due to the risk of filling Russia’s budget with additional revenues used to finance military actions against Ukraine.
International organizations and Ukrainian authorities classify missile and drone strikes, as well as shelling of life support systems and medical facilities, as war crimes of the Russian Federation with signs of genocide. In particular, experts and human rights defenders point to the deliberate creation of conditions that make normal life impossible for the Ukrainian population, as well as public statements by Russian officials about intentions to destroy Ukrainian identity.
The UN Convention on the Prevention of Genocide, adopted in 1948, obliges 149 participating countries to prevent and punish such crimes in both wartime and peacetime. Signs of genocide include killings, causing serious bodily harm, deliberately creating conditions for the destruction of a specific group, the forcible transfer of children, and public incitement to such actions.
The Russian leadership denies accusations of deliberate strikes on civilian objects and the civilian population; however, the international community records numerous instances of destruction of hospitals, schools, energy facilities, and water supply systems in Ukraine.