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[1/3] A general view of a grain terminal at the port of Odesa, Ukraine, April 10, 2023. Drone attacks wrecked buildings in the port of Izmail and prevented ships on the Danube River from loading grain for export. WHAT DOES INTERNATIONAL LAW SAY? The Geneva Conventions and additional protocols say that parties involved in military conflict must distinguish between “civilian objects and military objectives”, and that attacks on civilian objects are forbidden. This prohibition is also codified in the Rome Statute of the ICC, which opened an investigation into possible war crimes in Ukraine soon after the invasion.

Persons: Ritzau Scanpix, Bo Amstrup, Russia's, Yousuf Syed Khan, RIA, Katharine Fortin, Michael Schmitt, Marko Milanovic, Anthony Deutsch, Stephanie van den Berg, Kevin Liffey Organizations: REUTERS, Criminal, Global Rights, ICC, Utrecht University, Lieber, U.S, West, International, University of Reading, Nova, Thomson Locations: Odesa, Ukraine, Izmail, The Hague, Kherson, Geneva, Rome, Russian, Nova, Russia

☆ Ukraine investigating attacks on grain ports as potential war crimes
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

View of the damage at a grain port facility after a reported attack by Russian military drones in the Odesa region, Ukraine August 2, 2023. Prosecutor General's Office via Telegram/Handout via REUTERSAMSTERDAM, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Ukraine's prosecutor general is investigating Russian attacks on its agriculture infrastructure since July as potential war crimes, the office told Reuters on Thursday. "Ukraine is investigating these acts as potential war crimes," it said. Ukrainian authorities are already reviewing more than 97,000 reports of suspected war crimes and have filed charges against 220 suspects in domestic courts. It has described recent attacks on Ukraine's grain infrastructure as retaliation for a Ukrainian strike on a bridge across the Kerch Strait to Crimea used to supply its troops in southern Ukraine.

Persons: general's, RIA, Anthony Deutsch, Alex Richardson, Alison Williams Organizations: General's, REUTERS, Grain Initiative, International Criminal, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Russian, Odesa, Ukraine, REUTERS AMSTERDAM, Russia, The Hague, Kherson, Moscow, Kerch, Crimea, Izmail

☆ Ukrainians forced to become Russian citizens, US-backed research finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Anthony Deutsch | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Gleb GaranichAMSTERDAM, Aug 2 (Reuters) - Ukrainians living in Russian-occupied territory are being forced to assume Russian citizenship or face harsh retaliation, including possible deportation or detention, U.S.-backed research published on Wednesday said. A series of decrees signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin compel Ukrainians to get Russian passports, in violation of international humanitarian law, the report said. Ukrainians in occupied territory who do not seek Russian citizenship "are subjected to threats, intimidation, restrictions on humanitarian aid and basic necessities, and possible detention or deportation – all designed to force them to become Russian citizens," the report said. "What is concerning here is that it represents, basically, a violation of the Hague and Geneva Conventions," said Executive Director Nathaniel Raymond of the Humanitarian Research Lab at the Yale School of Public Health. The report was released as part of the Conflict Observatory program, with the support of the U.S. State Department and conducted by research partner the Yale School of Public Health's Humanitarian Research Lab.

Persons: Gleb Garanich AMSTERDAM, Vladimir Putin, Mikhail Mishustin, Nathaniel Raymond, Raymond, Putin, Anthony Deutsch, Giles Elgood, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Moscow, REUTERS, Yale University, Russian, Hague, Yale School of Public Health, Kremlin, International Criminal Court, U.S . State Department, Yale School of Public, Research, Thomson Locations: Mayorsk, Ukraine, Moscow, Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Russia, Russian, Ukraine's Donetsk, Geneva

☆ Torture, sexual violence commonly used by Russian forces in Ukraine, say experts
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Anthony Deutsch | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Ukrainian authorities are reviewing more than 97,000 reports of war crimes and have filed charges against 220 suspects in domestic courts. The Kremlin has consistently denied allegations of war crimes in Ukraine by forces taking part in a "special military operation" it says was launched to "de-Nazify" its neighbour and protect Russia. In June, Ukrainian prosecutors brought their first case over the alleged deportation of dozens of orphans from Kherson, charging a Russian politician and two suspected Ukrainian collaborators with war crimes. "The true scale of Russia’s war crimes remains unknown," Anna Mykytenko, senior legal adviser at Global Rights Compliance, said of the latest findings on torture. The torture techniques most commonly used were suffocation, waterboarding, severe beatings and threats of rape, it found.

Persons: Anna Voitenko, Vladimir Putin, Team's, Anna Mykytenko, Wayne Jordash, Anthony Deutsch, Alex Richardson Organizations: REUTERS, Mobile Justice Team, Global Rights, Criminal Court, ICC, The Mobile, European Union, Survivors, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Kherson, The Hague, Russia, Britain, United States, Russian

☆ Micromobility submits bid for Dutch e-bike maker VanMoof
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS, July 31 (Reuters) - Nasdaq-listed Micromobility.com (MCOM.O) said on Monday it had submitted a non-binding bid to acquire bankrupt Dutch electric bike maker VanMoof Amsterdam for an undisclosed sum. Its initial non-binding bid was positively received and the company is now preparing to present its binding offer, it said in a statement. It has said that administrators are now considering whether it can sell assets and restructure to save the business. VanMoof sold around 200,000 bikes for more than 2,000 euros ($2,250) each before going bankrupt, partly due to high maintenance costs. Reporting by Anthony Deutsch and Geert De Clercq; Editing by Angus MacSwanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: VanMoof, Anthony Deutsch, Geert De Clercq, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Nasdaq, Thomson Locations: Amsterdam

☆ Three injured in shooting in Dutch city Rotterdam
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

AMSTERDAM, July 29 (Reuters) - Three people were injured in a shooting Saturday night during a summer carnival in the Dutch port city of Rotterdam, police said in a statement. Police fired several shots at a shooter, it said. The victims and the shooter were taken to hospital. A shooting took place earlier in the day during the same event, police said in a separate statement. Reporting by Anthony Deutsch; Editing by Daniel WallisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Anthony Deutsch, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Police, Thomson Locations: AMSTERDAM, Rotterdam

☆ Fire on car carrier ablaze off Dutch coast now less intense
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

AMSTERDAM, July 28 (Reuters) - The fire which has been burning on a car carrier off the Dutch coast has lessened in intensity and salvagers have been able to board the ship to secure stronger tow lines, authorities said on Friday. Smoke rises as a fire broke out on the cargo ship Fremantle Highway, at sea on July 26, 2023. The Dutch coastguard said on its website on Thursday that the cause of the fire was unknown, but an emergency responder is heard in a recording released by Dutch broadcaster RTL saying, "The fire started in the battery of an electric car". An investigation has been launched by the Panama Maritime Authority and the Netherlands is assisting the inquiry, the Dutch Safety Board has said. The 199-metre (653-ft) Fremantle is drifting about 17 km from the northernmost Dutch coast, the coastguard said.

Persons: Miranda Murry, Daniel Leussink, Geert De Clercq, Marine Strauss, Anthony Deutsch, Tassilo Hummel, Philippa Fletcher, Leslie Adler Organizations: Panamanian, Fremantle Highway, Fremantle, Ship, Coastguard, REUTERS, K Line, Kawasaki, Dutch coastguard, RTL, Panama Maritime Authority, Dutch Safety, coastguard, Thomson Locations: AMSTERDAM, Coastguard Netherlands, Dutch, Netherlands, Fremantle, Germany, Egypt, Wadden, Denmark

☆ Carrier ablaze off Dutch coast carrying almost 500 electric cars
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

AMSTERDAM, July 28 (Reuters) - The car carrier burning off the Dutch coast since Tuesday night is carrying nearly 500 electric vehicles, ship charter company "K" Line said on Friday, significantly more than the 25 initially reported by the coastguard. There were 3,783 vehicles on board, including 498 battery electric vehicles, a Tokyo-based spokesperson for K Line (Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha), which had chartered the vessel, said. He declined to say anything about the car brands, including whether or not it included any cars from Japanese manufacturers. An investigation has been launched by the Panama Maritime Authority and the Netherlands is assisting the inquiry, the Dutch Safety Board has said. The 199-metre (653 ft) Fremantle, which is still burning, is drifting about 17 km from the northernmost Dutch coast, the coastguard said.

Persons: Miranda Murry, Daniel Leussink, Marine Strauss, Anthony Deutsch, Tassilo Hummel, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: coastguard, Panamanian, Fremantle Highway, K Line, Kawasaki, RTL, Panama Maritime Authority, Dutch Safety, Fremantle, Thomson Locations: AMSTERDAM, Tokyo, Dutch, Netherlands, Germany, Egypt, Wadden, Denmark

That risk has been put under the spotlight by the burning car carrier drifting off the Dutch coast. While all logistics companies deal with the risk of EV lithium-ion batteries burning with twice the energy of a normal fire, the maritime industry hasn't kept up with the developing technology and how it creates greater risk, maritime officials and insurers said. There were 209 ship fires reported during 2022, the highest number in a decade and 17% more than in 2021, according to a report from insurer Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS) (ALVG.DE). The European Maritime Safety Agency said in a March report the main cargo types identified as responsible for "a large share of cargo fire accidents included ... lithium-ion batteries." Firemen typically put out EV battery fires on roadsides by clearing the area around the burning vehicle and flooding the underside with water, something difficult to do on a RoRo, Dillon said.

Persons: hasn't, EVs, Shoei, Nathan Habers, Douglas Dillon, John Frazee, Marsh, Dillon, Frazee, KVNR's Habers, Joe Biden's, Lisa Baertlein, Anthony Deutsch, Victoria Waldersee, Ben Klayman, Diane Craft Organizations: Allianz, ANGELES, Dutch coastguard, RTL, Allianz Global Corporate, Specialty, Maritime Safety Agency, Royal Association of Netherlands, Tri, Maritime Safety Association, Auto, Firemen, EV, International Maritime Organization, Reuters, Thomson Locations: AMSTERDAM, Dutch, EVs, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, China, Europe, Los Angeles, Amsterdam, Berlin

☆ One dead in cargo ship fire, electric car suspected source - Dutch coastguard
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The Panama-registered Fremantle Highway was transporting 2,857 cars from Germany to Egypt, 25 of them electric. An electric car was the suspected source of the blaze, a coastguard spokesperson said, adding that the ship was still burning. The crew had tried, but failed, to extinguish the fire, the coastguard statement said. The injured crew were taken by helicopter to medical facilities on the mainland. A fire destroyed thousands of luxury cars on a ship off the coast of Portugal's Azores islands in February last year.

Persons: Shoei Kisen, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Rishabh, Anthony Deutsch, Edmund Klamann, Tom Hogue, Michael Perry, Alison Williams Organizations: Dutch coastguard, Fremantle Highway, coastguard, NOS, Thomson Locations: AMSTERDAM, Netherlands, Panama, Germany, Egypt, Bermenhaven, Dutch, Ameland, Jersey, Portugal's Azores

The fire began on Tuesday night on the 199-metre Panama-registered Fremantle Highway, which was en route from Germany to Egypt, forcing several crew members to jump overboard. Rescue ships sprayed water onto the burning boat to cool it down, but using too much water risked its sinking, the Dutch coastguard said. The coastguard said on its website that the cause of the fire was unknown, but a coastguard spokesperson had earlier told Reuters it began near an electric car. Coastguard spokesperson Edwin Granneman said salvage experts were trying to work out next steps for the burning boat. A fire destroyed thousands of luxury cars on a ship off the coast of Portugal's Azores islands in February last year.

Persons: Edwin Versteeg, Willard Molenaar, Molenaar, Edwin Granneman, Shoei Kisen, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Rishabh, Anthony Deutsch, Alison Williams, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: coastguard, Fremantle Highway, Dutch coastguard, Dutch Department of Waterways, Public, Reuters, Fremantle, Royal Dutch Rescue Company, Coastguard, Thomson Locations: Germany, Egypt, AMSTERDAM, Panama, Bremerhaven, Ameland, Dutch, Jersey, Portugal's Azores

☆ ICC ruling opens way to investigation on killings in Philippines
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

In a ruling on July 18, the ICC appeals judges rejected an attempt by the Philippines to block an investigation into the bloody anti-narcotics campaign of former President Rodrigo Duterte. A majority of judges rejected all four points of Manila's appeal, including that the ICC has no jurisdiction in the Philippines and that authorities there were conducting their own investigation. "The ICC appeals judges' ruling marks the next step toward justice for victims of 'drug war' killings and their families," Bryony Lau, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch (HRW), said in a statement. The decision left some of the families of drug war victims in tears after they watched the court proceeding online. But appeals judges ruled prosecutors still had jurisdiction over the alleged crimes because they occurred when the Philippines was still an ICC member.

Persons: Rodrigo Duterte, Harry Roque, Roque, Marc Perrin de Brichambaut, Bryony Lau, Kristina Conti, HRW's Lau, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Anthony Deutsch, Benoit Van Overstraeten, Neil Jerome Morales, Eloisa Lopez, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Emma Rumney, Alex Richardson Organizations: Criminal Court, ICC, Philippine, Human Rights Watch, Duterte, Police, Thomson Locations: AMSTERDAM, MANILA, Philippines, Manila, Asia, Amsterdam

☆ Tunisia and EU sign pact to stem migration
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Tarek Amara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The deal follow weeks of talks and Europe's pledge of major aid to Tunisia amounting to 1 billion euros ($1.12 billion) to help its battered economy, rescue state finances and deal with a migration crisis. All essential measures for bolstering efforts to stop irregular migration," Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Twitter. The European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyens said the bloc will allocate 100 million euros to Tunisia to help it combat illegal migration. Thousands of undocumented African migrants have flocked to the city of Sfax in recent months seeking to head for Europe in traffickers' boats, amounting to an unprecedented migration crisis for Tunisia. "We are very pleased, it is a further important step towards creation of a true partnership between Tunisia and the EU, which can address in an integrated fashion the migration crisis," Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Miloni said.

Persons: Kais Saied, Giorgia Meloni, Ursula von der Leyen, Mark Rutte, Read, Europe's, Ursula von der Leyens, Giorgia Miloni, Meloni, Saied, Tarek Amara, Crispian Balmer, Anthony Deutsch, Hatem Maher, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: Dutch, European Union, Twitter, European Commission, EU, Thomson Locations: Italian, Tunisia, EU, Tunis, TUNIS, Europe, Sfax, Rome, Italy, Libya, Amesterdam

☆ Miss Netherlands' first transgender winner becomes target of hate speech
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

AMSTERDAM, July 13 (Reuters) - Rikkie Valerie Kolle, the first transgender woman to be crowed Miss Netherlands, once saw her success in the pageant as a symbol of her nation's openness. Kolle, 22, said she became a target of hate speech after winning the 94-year-old competition last week. If she wins she will be the first transgender woman to claim that title. [1/5]Rikkie Valerie Kolle, a transgender woman who was crowned Miss Netherlands, puts on her makeup in Voorthuizen, Netherlands July 12, 2023. REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw"I thought we were really accepting.... in the Netherlands, but the hate comments show the other side of our society.

Persons: Valerie Kolle, Kolle, Piroschka van de, Anthony Deutsch, Emma Rumney Organizations: Miss, Miss Universe, REUTERS, Reuters, Thomson Locations: AMSTERDAM, Miss Netherlands, Voorthuizen, Netherlands

☆ Dutch government collapses over immigration policy
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

AMSTERDAM, July 7 (Reuters) - The Dutch government on Friday collapsed after failing to reach a deal on restricting immigration, junior coalition partner Christian Union said, a move expected to trigger new elections in the fall. Therefore they decided to end this government," party spokesman Tim Kuijsten said, confirming media reports that Prime Minister Mark Rutte would tender the resignation of his government. The Netherlands already has a one of Europe's toughest immigration policies but under the pressure of right-wing parties, Rutte had for months been trying to seek ways to further reduce the inflow of asylum seekers. He promised to improve conditions at the facilities, mainly by reducing the number of refugees that reach the Netherlands. Rutte, 56, is the longest-serving government leader in Dutch history and the most senior in the EU after Hungary's Viktor Orban.

Persons: Tim Kuijsten, Mark Rutte, Rutte, Kajsa Ollongren, Hungary's Viktor Orban, Bart Meijer, Anthony Deutsch, Stephanie van den, Sandra Maler Organizations: Christian Union, Defence, Frontieres, Thomson Locations: AMSTERDAM, Netherlands

☆ Putin's comment on funding Wagner shows link to Ukraine -prosecutor
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Anthony Deutsch | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Putin said last week that Wagner and its founder, Yevgeny Prigozhin, had received almost $2 billion from Russia in the past year. Among more than 93,000 incidents of potential war crimes Kostin's office was investigating were many atrocities Wagner forces committed, Kostin said. They are "among the most severe crimes against our civilians and our prisoners of war," Kostin said. Kostin appealed to allies, including the U.S. and Britain, to classify Wagner as a terrorist organisation so it can be prosecuted and its assets frozen. "Prigozhin is already a suspect in criminal proceedings in Ukraine, but the main thing is to stop the activity of such groups," he said.

Persons: Vladimir Putin's, Wagner, Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Andriy Kostin, Kostin, Putin's, Anthony Deutsch, Josie Kao Organizations: HAGUE, International Centre, U.S, Thomson Locations: Russia, The Hague, Geneva, Ukraine, Latin America, Africa, Britain

☆ Exclusive: Ukraine brings first charges for deporting Kherson orphans
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Anthony Deutsch | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

On Friday, the charges were filed in Ukraine, a pre-trial stage when prosecutors determine there is sufficient evidence to suspect a person of committing a criminal offence. They may have been illegally adopted by Russian citizens, or taken to Russian institutions, she said. The bulk of the orphans were taken on Oct. 21, 2022 under the supervision of the lead, Russian suspect. "We want to hold accountable all the war criminals, all the people that committed horrible international crimes against our Ukrainian children." Ukrainian prosecutors shared a video allegedly showing one of the suspects helping to load the children onto a bus marked with the pro-Russian symbol "Z".

Persons: Ukraine's, Vladimir Putin, Maria Lvova, Karim Khan, Andriy Kostin, General's, Usenko, Anthony Deutsch, Andrii Pryimachenko, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: HAGUE, Reuters, Hague, Court, Kherson Children's, ICC, Russian, Children's, Wednesday, Kherson Regional Children's, Criminal Court, Kherson Region Children's, Russian Ministry of Health, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: Russian, Kherson, Ukraine, Russia, Moscow, Crimea, Ukrainian, Vyshhorod, Geneva, Kherson Region, Ukraine's, Kyiv

☆ East Europe NATO allies say Wagner troops in Belarus spell trouble
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Anthony Deutsch | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

It requires a very, very tough answer of NATO," Polish President Andrzej Duda added. Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin arrived in Belarus on Tuesday under a deal negotiated by President Alexander Lukashenko that ended the mercenaries' mutiny in Russia on Saturday. "We have sent a clear message to Moscow and Minsk that NATO is there to protect every ally, every inch of NATO territory," Stoltenberg said. Poland's Duda said he hoped the threat posed by Wagner forces would be on the agenda at a summit of all 31 NATO members in Vilnius, Lithuania, July 11-12. Reporting by Bart Meijer and Anthony Deutsch; editing by Jonathan Oatis and David GregorioOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Jens Stoltenberg, Wagner, Gitanas Nauseda, Stoltenberg, Andrzej Duda, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Alexander Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin, Alexander De Croo, Mark Rutte, Klaus Iohannis, Jonas Gahr, Read, NATO's Stoltenberg, Poland's Duda, Bart Meijer, Anthony Deutsch, Jonathan Oatis, David Gregorio Our Organizations: HAGUE, NATO, Albania's, Edi Rama, Dutch, Thomson Locations: Russian, Belarus, The Hague, Russia, Belgian, Lithuanian, Norwegian, Moscow, Minsk, Ukraine, Vilnius, Lithuania

Dr. Gert ter Haar, a specialist in short-muzzled animals at the AniCura veterinary hospital, widened her nostrils and performed other procedures to improve her breathing. Dogs are being bred for their looks, but people tend to forget about their health, said Ter Haar, who recommended potential pet owners should consult a vet before buying. On many, many organs", Dr. Ter Haar said. Dr. Ter Haar said pugs and French bulldogs are mostly affected, although larger dogs such as boxers and chows can also suffer from overbreeding. Dutch Minister of Agriculture and Nature Piet Adema has drafted a legal change to ban harmful characteristics after a transitional period during which owners of overbred pets will be exempt.

Persons: XXL Pablo, Read, Katja, Ilia, Abby, Gert ter Haar, Ter Haar, pugs, Nature Piet Adema, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Bart Biesemans, Anthony Deutsch, Barbara Lewis Organizations: French bulldogs, Agriculture, Nature, Thomson Locations: Utrecht, UTRECHT, Netherlands, Dutch

☆ 'Highly likely' Russia behind Ukraine dam collapse, international experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Anthony Deutsch | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

AMSTERDAM, June 16 (Reuters) - It is "highly likely" that the collapse of the Kakhovka dam in southern Ukraine was caused by explosives planted by Russians, a team of legal experts assisting Ukraine's prosecutors in their investigation said in preliminary findings released on Friday. Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused Ukraine of destroying the Kakhovka dam as a Western-backed tactic to escalate the conflict. Ukraine is investigating the blast as a war crime and possible criminal environmental destruction, or "ecocide". "Even in the highly unlikely scenario the dam, or indeed the area nearby, posed a valid military objective commensurate with eviscerating the dam, it is still afforded an elevated protection under international humanitarian law," she said. The ICC, the world's permanent war crimes tribunal, is also investigating the attacks on Ukraine's infrastructure, which may violate international law.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Yousuf Syed Khan, Khan, Catriona Murdoch, Anthony Deutsch, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: Global Rights, International Criminal, Reuters, ICC, Thomson Locations: AMSTERDAM, Ukraine, Soviet, Kherson

☆ Exclusive: Coalition aims to begin Ukrainian F-16 pilot training by summer - Dutch minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Anthony Deutsch | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Previously, the Netherlands had said it aimed to start training Ukrainian pilots "as soon as possible", but had stopped short of specifying when such training could get under way. And we'll see if that's realistic" for the start of the training programme, Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren told Reuters in an interview. A final decision has not yet been taken on a request from Kyiv to supply dozens of F-16s, Ollongren said. Two sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters the training would begin with two groups of 12 Ukrainian pilots, already experienced flying Soviet-era MiGs. Ukrainian pilots would have to learn how to operate the F-16's so-called 'hands-on throttle and stick'.

Persons: Kajsa Ollongren, Ollongren, it's, Volodymyr, Zelenskiy, Colonel Laurens, Jan Vijge, that's, Anthony Deutsch, Phillip Stewart Organizations: NATO, Reuters, Dutch Defense, U.S, Thomson Locations: Netherlands, U.S, Russia, Denmark, Ukraine, Kyiv, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Britain, Soviet, Ukrainian, Dutch, Afghanistan, The Hague, Washington

The Ukrainian prosecutor general's office said on Tuesday it was investigating the blast at the Nova Kakhovka dam, situated in Russian-occupied territory, as a war crime and possible act of environmental destruction, or "ecocide". Kyiv said this was a war crime, while Moscow said the targets were legitimate. WHAT DOES INTERNATIONAL LAW SAY? The Geneva Conventions and additional protocols shaped by international courts say that parties involved in a military conflict must distinguish between “civilian objects and military objectives”, and that attacks on civilian objects are forbidden. IS ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE MILITARY OR CIVILIAN?

Persons: Dmitry Peskov, general's, Marko Milanovic, Michael Schmitt, Milanovic, Katharine Fortin, Stephanie van den Berg, Anthony Deutsch, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Reuters, REUTERS, HAGUE, Russia, Criminal, European, of International, University of Reading, ICC, Lieber Institute for Law & Warfare, United States Military Academy West, Utrecht University, Thomson Locations: Nova, Kherson region, Ukraine, Geneva, Ukrainian, Dnipro, Russia, Moscow, Rome

☆ Ukraine investigating dam blast as war crime, prosecutors say
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

AMSTERDAM, June 6 (Reuters) - Ukraine is investigating the blast at a major hydroelectric dam in the south of the country as a war crime and as possible criminal environmental destruction, or "ecocide", the office of its prosecutor general said on Tuesday. The prosecutors said in comments sent to Reuters that they had started "urgent investigations" into the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka hydroelectric dam. Ukraine is one of a small number of states, including Russia, that have criminalised 'ecocide' through domestic legislation. Kyiv defines ecocide as "mass destruction of flora and fauna, poisoning of air or water resources, and also any other actions that may cause an environmental disaster" in Article 441 of its criminal code. Reporting by Anthony DeutschOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Anthony Deutsch Organizations: Reuters, Thomson Locations: AMSTERDAM, Ukraine, Nova, Russia

☆ ICC members 'deeply concerned' by Russia's decision to put prosecutor on wanted list
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

AMSTERDAM, May 20 (Reuters) - The member states of the International Criminal Court on Saturday said they are "deeply concerned" by Russia's decision to place a court prosecutor and several judges on a wanted list. The ICC's British prosecutor, Karim Khan, has been added to the Russian Interior Ministry's wanted list, state-owned news agency TASS reported on Friday, citing the ministry's database. The Hague-based ICC issued a warrant for President Vladimir Putin in March, accusing him of the war crime of illegally deporting children from Ukraine. It said there were reasonable grounds to believe Putin and Russian child rights commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova bore individual criminal responsibility. "The International Criminal Court is aware and profoundly concerned about unwarranted and unjustified coercive measures reportedly taken against ICC officials," the ICC said in a separate statement on Saturday.

☆ UN official criticised after meeting Russian sought by ICC
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Rights groups and the top U.S. official for global justice denounced the meeting. As a senior official, Gamba should avoid contact with persons subject to ICC warrants and that "Lvova-Belova belongs only in one place – in the dock at the ICC," Jarrah said. Ambassador for Global Justice Beth van Schaack, said on social media Friday night that such a meeting would be "deeply concerning." The United States, Britain, Albania and Malta walked out on her address. Britain and the United States had also blocked the meeting from being webcast.

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