Human rights analysts document 42 deaths of Crimean draftees in October

Analysts of the underground human rights monitoring initiative “Tribunal. Crimean Episode” has identified 42 obituaries of Crimean residents in October 2024 whom Russia illegally conscripted into its army. While only one case confirmed combat participation of a mobilised resident, more than half of the reports (57%) failed to establish the exact status of the deceased peninsula residents in the combat zone.

The Donetsk region and the Kursk Oblast emerged as primary deployment areas for Crimean residents in October, with eight and seven obituaries, respectively. At least four casualties belonged to the 810th Marine Infantry Brigade, based in occupied Sevastopol.

Every fifth obituary in the previous month was of a resident of the city of Kerch in the temporarily occupied Crimea. Other significant losses came from the Leninsky district (six obituaries) and the Bakhchisaray district (five obituaries). The initiative noted that Kerch and the Leninsky district also led in August casualties, while the Bakhchisaray district topped the list in September.

“Sooner or later, investigators will establish the true number of Crimeans forced into war through mobilization. How the perpetrators of these crimes will be identified is also a question. Given the severity of the consequences, the International Tribunal will certainly pay special attention to this aspect,” the initiative’s statement emphasised.

Human rights advocates pointed out that Article 51 of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War prohibits forming military units from occupied territories’ populations.

Additionally, Article 8 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court classifies forced conscription of civilians into an occupying power’s armed forces as a war crime.

Read also: Russia’s forced demographic changes in Crimea violate international law – Amnesty International

Earlier, ZMINA reported that researchers from the Mission of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea have recorded at least 1,223 Russian soldiers buried in temporarily occupied Crimea, using open-source intelligence. Of these, 769 were likely Ukrainian citizens. 

Russian occupation authorities continue to hide the number of Crimean casualties in its war against Ukraine.