In the context of active hostilities on the territory of Russia, the Ukrainian army in the Kursk region emphasizes its commitment to international military standards. Having entered the territory of Russia as part of the Kursk operation, Ukraine aims not only to fulfill strategic tasks, but also to clearly demonstrate its readiness to comply with the norms and rules of warfare established by international law.
This is part of a broader narrative on the part of Kyiv, which seeks to differentiate itself from the Russian way of waging war, as well as not to lose the support of its Western allies, Politico writes.
"It is important for us not to be like those who brought us war with robberies and rapes. I'm very proud of our soldiers, that we don't have anything like this," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in response to Politico's questions during a press conference in Kyiv last week.
In the videos distributed by Ukraine, Ukrainian military personnel can be seen communicating with Russian civilians and bringing them food and water.
Everything that contradicts this narrative is a risk, the publication writes. This means that a Ukrainian missile that mistakenly hits a Russian school, or a soldier that kills a Russian civilian, will immediately turn in Moscow's favor.
At the same time, Russia does not face such restrictions, it repeatedly violated the laws of war during its invasion of Ukraine.
It violated the UN Charter by attacking a sovereign country and annexing part of its territory. It violates the Geneva Conventions in the way it treats the civilian population.
These include indiscriminate attacks on residential buildings, train stations, and shopping centers, as well as torture and mass murders in territories occupied by the Russian army, such as Bucha. For this, Ukraine wants the International Criminal Court to hold Russia accountable.
The ICC has already issued a warrant for Putin's arrest, saying he did not stop the illegal deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia.
"Today, Russia commits three main types of crimes: war of aggression, war crimes and genocide," Politico quoted the US non-governmental organization the US Institute of Peace as saying.
Author of the photo, DSNS
The fact that Ukraine "fights by the rules" plays an important role in creating the legitimacy of the Ukrainian state and helps to obtain military, diplomatic, financial and moral support from other countries, noted the retired Australian general Mick Ryan.
The occupying forces must "take all measures in their power to restore and ensure, as far as possible, public order and security," according to Article 43 of the Hague Regulations of 1907.
Ukraine has established its first military command post in Suja, but it remains to be seen whether it will be able to effectively exercise leadership functions in regions outside the city where fighting rages and control of the territory changes hands, Politico noted.
"We have no verified data, with the exception of Suja, where it is obvious that it is under the control of the Ukrainian army, and this has been confirmed by the visits of journalists," the publication quotes human rights activist Andrii Yakovlev.
Humanitarian mission
Ukraine is trying to restore water supplies, and doctors are working in the territories it controls, where several hundred Russians still live, Vadym Mysnyk, a spokesman for the Seversk tactical group, which is responsible for the Kursk operation, told Politico.
"We are counting the number of people we will have to take care of. Many of them hid from us in the first days, but when they saw the human attitude, they began to come out more and ask for help. We have special units that help them," added Mysnyk.
Kyiv has allowed international journalists into the areas it has seized, published dozens of videos showing Ukrainian soldiers humanely treating local residents, and appealed to organizations such as the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to come and monitor the situation.
More than 130,000 residents were evacuated from the Kursk region, and 20,000 remained, said Oleksiy Smirnov, acting governor of the Kursk region.
Kyiv has called on Moscow to open a humanitarian corridor to allow local residents to escape, but the Kremlin has not yet responded, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk told Politico during a forum in Kyiv last week.
The danger to civilians is becoming more apparent as Russia begins to strike at Suja.
"Locals keep asking why their army is bombing them like that," Mysnyk said, adding that Ukrainians show them photos of Ukrainian towns like Avdiyivka that have been turned into wasteland by Russian attacks.
