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The international community has agreed that countries at war must follow certain basic rules of combat, such as not targeting civilians. Violations of these rules can constitute war crimes, and an international court was established in 1998 to bring perpetrators of war crimes to justice. Recently the court has begun to look at evidence from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, where observers say war crimes have been committed. Listen to hear a war crimes expert discuss the rules of war, how Russia has violated them, and what might be done to hold the perpetrators accountable.
Story Length: 5:15
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March 15, 2022
3:03
Russian soldiers have crossed the border into Ukraine, and their invasion has forced many Ukrainians to flee to neighboring countries for safety. Volunteers in these countries are welcoming the Ukrainian refugees and offering them the resources they need for life away from their homes. Listen to hear why Eastern European countries are helping Ukrainians and find out how Russia’s president is reacting to Ukraine’s resistance to Russia’s invasion.
Read MoreMarch 14, 2022
5:54
Millions of Ukrainians are fleeing their homes to escape the ongoing attack by Russian forces. They are traveling by train, plane, car, or foot, heading to safer parts of Ukraine or towards neighboring countries. Many leave quickly, taking few belongings with them, and face an uncertain future. This audio story features an interview with one such refugee, a Ukrainian writer who fled her home in Kyiv to cross the border into Poland. Listen to hear about her experiences and emotions as she leaves her home country behind in the midst of war.
Read MoreMarch 8, 2022
6:18
Huge numbers of people have fled Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital city, after Russian troops invaded the country and began advancing on the capital. But others have chosen to stay and are sheltering underground in makeshift bomb shelters. In this story, a Ukrainian journalist describes the conditions in a bomb shelter and explains why she decided to stay there. Listen to hear about the other people in the shelter with the journalist, and find out what she thinks about the war’s impact on the Ukrainian people.
Read MoreOctober 30, 2015
3:18
United States airstrikes killed 22 people in a hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan that was run by an international aid group, Doctors without Borders. The aid group had given their exact location to the U.S. military, Afghan forces and the Taliban in an effort to avoid being targeted by mistake. Doctors without Borders is calling this act a war crime and the United States is calling this a mistake. Listen to hear about both sides of this issue, and debate your students’ point of view on what constitutes a war crime.
Read More