Conflicts & War

Zelenskyy accuses Russia of genocide of indigenous peoples

International Desk, Sep 25 (EFE).- Ukraine’s President Volodomyr Zelenskyy launched accusations of genocide against Russia late Sunday, saying it had the intention of “exterminating” indigenous peoples in the occupied territories.

“Criminal mobilization is used by Russia not only to prolong the suffering of people in Ukraine and to further destabilize the world, but also to physically exterminate men – representatives of indigenous peoples who live in the territories controlled so far, temporarily, by the Russian Federation,” he said in his late night address.

Zelenskyy said that “the situation in the occupied Crimea is catastrophic.”

“The information about the Crimean Tatar people is fully confirmed: most of the mobilization letters are given there specifically to qırımlılar (Crimean Tatars). This is another element of Russia’s policy of genocide, another reason for the immediate and tough reaction of the whole world,” he added.

And “the same is happening on the territory of Russia itself,” he said.

“This is a deliberate imperial policy. This is a blow to the peoples of, for example, Dagestan and the entire Caucasus, to the indigenous peoples of Siberia and other territories.”

The president also addressed Russians, warning them that if they go to Ukraine to fight, they may not return home.

“Fight to ensure that your children are not sent to die – everyone who can be taken by this criminal Russian mobilization. Because if you come to take the lives of our children – I will tell you as a father – we will not let you go alive,” he said.

Zelenskyy reiterated that those recruited by Moscow have options: “do not submit to criminal mobilization. Flee. Or surrender to Ukrainian captivity at the first opportunity.”

“The more citizens of the Russian Federation at least try to protect their own lives, the sooner this criminal war of Russia against the people of Ukraine will end,” the Ukrainian president said.

He also said that “work is ongoing” regarding further prisoner exchanges with Russia.

“The more Russian soldiers are detained by Ukrainian forces, the faster we will be able to free our warriors, our heroes from Russian captivity.” EFE

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