Destroy, in Whole or in Part
Russia’s current aggression against Ukrainians contains a number of signs of genocide, so the Kyiv Independent’s War Crimes Investigations Unit decided to investigate the matter.
In this documentary, its author, investigative reporter Danylo Mokryk explores whether there is genocidal intent in the actions of the Russian military and officials, as well as in Russian state propaganda.
He interviews several scholars whose views oppose one another. William A. Schabas, one of the most renowned scholars in the field, is a skeptic. Eugene Finkel has written an opinion piece stating that the Russian invasion was genocide back in 2022. Dmytro Koval emphasizes that one cannot fully understand Russia’s war in Ukraine if one doesn’t call it genocide.
The documentary also features survivors and witnesses of Russian war crimes: a widow of a man killed in Bucha; a twin sister of a woman murdered in Skadovsk; a kid who had been deported to Crimea, and witnessed an attempt to russify Ukrainian children; and two people who had been detained during the occupation of Kherson.
INVESTIGATION
Since the start of the full-scale invasion, Russia has committed thousands of crimes in Ukraine.
Ivan Vyhivskyi, the National Police head, said that Kyiv is investigating over 100,000 war crimes cases committed by Russian troops in Ukraine. Among them are some of the most horrendous crimes – deliberate murder, torture, and rape of civilians, and the kidnapping of Ukrainian children.
The Russian army has been well documented to execute Ukrainian prisoners of war and to perform a wide range of crimes.
Russia has also gone a long way in its attempt to destroy the Ukrainian language, culture, and statehood, with the country's state-controlled propaganda putting an emphasis on "re-educating" Ukrainians to become Russians.
A regular theme of Russian propaganda is the need to "erase the Ukrainian nation," and murdering those who don't agree to become Russian.
The Kyiv Independent's new investigative documentary "Destroy, in Whole or in Part," tries to answer the question – do Russian actions in Ukraine constitute genocide?
Author
Danylo Mokryk
Director
Vitalii Havura
Editing Director
Maksym Yakobchuk
Cinematographers
Researcher
Kostiantyn Nechyporenko
Line Producer
Anastasiia Mozghova
HEAD OF WAR CRIMES INVESTIGATIONS UNIT
Yevheniia Motorevska
Editor-in-Chief of the Kyiv Independent
Olga Rudenko
Released with the support of
