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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania summoned the chargé d'affaires ad interim of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Vilnius, Alexander Elkin, and handed in a diplomatic note expressing strong protest against Russia's continued war crimes against Ukraine and its people.

As Russia continues its aggression against Ukraine and increasingly shells Ukrainian cities, their residents and the critical infrastructure, reports of unarmed Ukrainian prisoners of war being shot by Russian forces and other war crimes committed by aggressor appear with appalling regularity. From October to November of this year alone, at least three instances were recorded in which more than 20 Ukrainian soldiers taken prisoner were executed.

According to the Geneva Conventions, such treatment of prisoners of war is considered a war crime. Today, during the meeting, the representative of the Russian Federation was told that if the Russian leadership and country’s law enforcement agencies did not take action to investigate and prevent these crimes, they would be considered complicit in these crimes. Russian diplomats will also be held to account for justifying the military aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine and for their active or passive efforts to whitewash the record, helping the Russian Federation evade accountability for the numerous war crimes that its military forces have committed and are still committing.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania once again demanded that the Russian Federation immediately cease its illegal aggression against Ukraine, stop the hostilities, withdraw its armed forces from the entire territory of Ukraine and compensate Ukraine for all damage caused by the military aggression of the Russian Federation.