Few Russian citizens view the Kremlin’s invasion into Ukraine as unlawful. Not many Russian servicemen realize that when they are fighting there, they fight as unnamed, faceless soldiers who lack the protection of international pacts, including the Geneva Conventions.

An important source of proof of Russia’s undeclared war against Ukraine could be blocked if a plan reportedly underway is implemented. This is only one of the grounds of concern over plans to block two Russian-based social networks - VKontakte [VK] and Odnoklassniki [OK].

Victory Day in Russia was marked this year by state-controlled television appearing to treat Donetsk as a Russian city and photos at the Immortal Regiment march of a notorious Russian mercenary and Ukrainian militant whom Ukraine had wanted to see tried for war crimes in Donbas

After holding well-known academic Ihor Kozlovskyy prisoner for well over a year, the Kremlin-backed militants of the so-called Donetsk people’s republic [DPR] have now ‘sentenced’ him to nearly 3 years’ imprisonment. The 63-year-old religious scholar was ‘convicted’ by a DPR military court of possession of two grenades which were purportedly ‘found’ in his flat

The man believed responsible for a chemical attack on Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was almost certainly a leader of the aborted attempt in 2014 to seize control in Kharkiv, Ukraine, and form a so-called ‘Kharkiv people’s republic’, like the Kremlin-backed formations in Donbas.

Russia’s Investigative Committee has initiated a criminal investigation into what it claims was Ukraine’s ‘abduction’ of Russian ‘volunteers’. Ukraine’s position in trying the men for involvement in terrorism is shared by the United Kingdom which is currently prosecuting a Briton on terrorism charges for his believed role in the fighting in Donbas.

The International Court of Justice’s decision on April 19 on Ukraine’s suit against Russia may have rejected one request for provisional measures, but its intercession on behalf of Crimean Tatars and other Ukrainians facing persecution in occupied Crimea and its recognition of jurisdiction made this an important victory for Ukraine

It is three years since Volodymyr Rybak was abducted by Kremlin-backed militants when he tried to remove the flag of the so-called ‘Donetsk people’s republic’ from the seized Horlivka city council building. His tortured and mutilated body was found 5 days later, together with that of 19-year-old student Yury Popravka.

Exactly 3 years ago, former Russian military intelligence officer Igor Girkin, with heavily armed Russian and pro-Russian militants seized Sloviansk in the Donetsk oblast, beginning a Russian-funded, armed and manned war that has continued to this day

Russia’s hybrid war against Ukraine is now entering its fourth year, but there was a time when few expected it to last even four weeks. The virtually bloodless seizure of Crimea, which fell to Russian troops in early 2014 without a fight, led most observers to conclude that Ukraine was effectively defenseless and at Moscow’s mercy

Incredibly, some Ukrainian websites have copy-pasted Russian propaganda media, including a website closely linked with the defence ministry, which deliberately distorted the findings of a new Bellingcat investigation

Bilyal Adilov was seized by men in camouflage gear and masks from outside the High Court in Russian-occupied Crimea on March 29 in the latest attempt to terrorize Crimean Tatars and deter them from showing solidarity with victims of persecution

Russia’s claim at the Hague that the Donbas militants were using Soviet weapons found hidden (together with 700 tanks?) in mines did not get the attention it warranted. The Western media have largely opted for a ‘Kyiv accuses’ and ‘Moscow denies’ format, even when this means ignoring considerable video footage of Russian soldiers and tanks clearly headed for the border and more

While it remains unproven who carried out the brazen killing of ex-Russian MP Denis Voronenkov in Kyiv on March 23 or why, it is certainly true that Ukraine has lost a valuable witness willing to give damaging testimony about ex-President Viktor Yanukovych and Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

Further evidence has emerged of Russian military personnel directly involved in the battle for Debaltseve in February 2015

If, as Russia claims, it is fully implementing its obligations under two international agreements – not financing terrorism and not discriminating against Crimean Tatars and ethnic Ukrainians in occupied Crimea, is it fighting Ukraine’s attempt to secure provisional measures which demand only such implementation?

Alexander Zakharchenko, head of the so-called ‘Donetsk people’s republic’ [DNR], recently claimed during an OSCE press conference that he is fully entitled to shell Krasny Liman or Artemovsk, as these are “his land”

Russia’s attempt in its opening address to deny that Ukraine’s suit falls within the International Court of Justice’s jurisdiction was anticipated. Slightly less predictable was the strange similarity with Russian state-controlled media – the same carefully chosen facts, deft omissions and flagrant distortions.

On the first day of hearings into its case against Russia at the International Court of Justice, Ukraine presented a weight of arguments and examples to back its accusations against Russia over its annexation of Crimea and gross violations of human rights under occupation, and for its financing of terrorism in Donbas

Ongoing Violations of International Law and Defiance of OSCE Principles and Commitments by the Russian Federation in Ukraine