As reported by Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Kateryna Pavlychenko, most of those crimes were recorded in the Kharkiv, Kyiv, Kherson, Luhansk, and Donetsk regions, particularly in those settlements that were under temporary russian occupation. The range of crimes includes, but is not limited to, killing and torturing civilians, shelling of “green corridors,” deportation of children, crimes against journalists, destruction of civilian infrastructure, and sexual violence against civilians.
According to Serhii Haidai, Head of the Luhansk Regional Military-Civil Administration, there have already been more than a hundred such cases. He believes that Chechnya’s leader kadyrov “takes special pride” in “training the young generation of Ukrainians [for further military aggression against Ukraine] personally.”
The occupiers are using "in-depth medical examinations" conducted by doctors brought from russia to cover up the children’s deportation. During such exams, doctors conclude that some of the children "require special medical care," and for that care to be provided, russians are ostensibly compelled to transfer the children to the territory of russia. In the Luhansk region, around 15,000 children aged 2 to 17 years underwent such medical examinations.
In the Kherson region, however, local doctors who were allowed to examine children by the occupiers managed to save some of them from deportation by falsely diagnosing the kids with diseases that prevented them from being transported.
It is known that as of today, more than 7,000 children were deported to russia. Their search is complicated by the fact that russians change the names and surnames of such children and carry out their forced passportization.
The text of the resolution was published on the Committee’s website. Senator Jim Risch, one of the sponsors of the resolution, stated that the document “condemns the active genocide against the Ukrainian people, calls on the US government to work with [its] allies to prevent future acts of genocide, and supports investigations to bring these terrible crimes to justice.” The document also urges the US President to use Global Magnistky sanctions on those responsible or complicit in russia’s genocide in Ukraine.
In a parliamentary debate on December 7, MPs from all parties put pressure on the government to ensure BP completely left russia, stating that it should donate its “wartime profits” in russia to the reconstruction of Ukraine or ministers should impose a special windfall tax on the oil company to force it to do so. The company has a 19.75% stake in Rosneft, one of the Kremlin’s most important oil assets. Despite signaling its intent to exit russia nine months ago, the oil supermajor still owns the stock in the russian state-controlled firm.
On November 9, Bulgarian lawmakers approved a list of arms drawn up by the interim government. While the full list of weapons remains classified, government officials have said the country will mainly send light weaponry and ammunition. Previously, Bulgaria agreed to repair Ukrainian military equipment at its factories but refused to send weapons directly due to opposition from President Rumen Radev and the country’s moscow-friendly political parties.
On December 13, the Italian Senate confirmed the government’s decision to supply arms to Ukraine in 2023, as agreed with NATO and European Union allies. Minister of Defense of Italy Guido Crosetto addressed the parliamentarians on this matter, emphasizing that while “military aid [would] have to end sooner or later,” the supply of weapons to the Armed Forces of Ukraine could be stopped only after the start of peace negotiations. “There is no doubt that we all want peace, but this goal cannot be pursued without providing assistance to a country facing unilateral aggression in violation of international law,” Mr. Crosetto said.
In his TV comment, Oleksandr Korniyenko noted that all MPs did not have the right to take a paid vacation during martial law. Therefore, as martial law has been prolonged until February 19, 2022, no MP can take a vacation.
Ukraine’s Central Election Committee did not confirm the election of a new member in the party’s list following Yuliia Levochkina’s mandate’s termination. The reason for such a decision is the ban of the political party.
On December 6, the Program arranged a coordination meeting of the Parliamentary Education Center with the VRU Committee on social policy and protection of Veterans' Rights, one of the Porgram’s model committees. Participants agreed on the organization and conducting of specific events for high-school children and students with the participation of MPs and representatives of the Committee’s Secretariat at least once a month, starting from the following year.
On December 7, VRU Parliamentary Education Center had an online lesson for school children, “Australia stands with Ukraine,” from the series of sessions, “Parliaments of the World Stand with Ukraine.” More than 30 participants got to know the features of the Australian parliamentary and government system’s operation and also some interesting facts about this country, its people and traditions. Vasyl Miroshnychenko, Ambassador of Ukraine to Australia, took part in the lesson describing Ukrainian-Australian diplomatic relations and drawing attention to the help Australia has been providing to Ukraine since February 24 of this year.
On December 8, the Program conducted the first training on e-tools for 60 members of the Parliamentary Research Service (PRS) and the VRU Secretariat. Participants were trained in essential functions of the Google platforms and their use in remote work, and some cyber-security rules, which have increased their digital competencies.
On December 8, the Parliamentary Education Center (PEC) conducted two online parliamentary lessons for school students of the Volyn region (constituency 19, represented by MP Ihor Huz). Fifty high-school students learned about the parliament as an institution, its functions, structure, and organization of work, MPs' rights and duties, and the legislation process. In addition, MP’s aid Andrii Bokoch answered the questions from participants.
On December 8, Program’s expert participated in Ukraine’s delegation's meeting at the Organization for Security and Co-operation, Europe’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights. The participants discussed, in particular, legislative and parliamentary reform, the development of the draft Code of Ethics, the new Law "On political parties," and the experience of Austria and Lithuania in strengthening parliamentary integrity.
The training will be dedicated to shadow banning of social media pages, how to avoid and what to do. The meeting will be available via the link.
The lesson’s topic will be "Separation of powers in Ukraine. The ways state authorities interact with the parliament”.
Canadian representatives will introduce their experience of specialized units in the government and both chambers of the parliament responsible for preparing draft laws. Nathalie Caron, Deputy Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel, House of Commons, and Marc-André Roy, Senior Parliamentary Counsel, Senate, will present the Parliament’s experience in drafting laws. Riri Shen, Chief Legislative Counsel of Canada and Deputy Assistant Deputy Minister, and Sandra C. Markman, Deputy Chief Legislative Counsel (Legislation), Department of Justice, will speak about the Law drafting in the Government of Canada. The presentation will take place online via Zoom on December 16 from 4 to 6 pm via the link.