It is claimed that over 120,000 Ukrainian children and other civilians (especially young women) have been forcibly deported to Russia. This IMO is part of their efforts to erase Ukrainian cultural identity and comes under the definition of genocide. It's not just about killing civilians, but also targeting and removing all those with cultural influence and forcing the "re-education" of children to become proper citizens of the aggressor state.
Russia to fast-track adoptions of Ukrainian children 'forcibly deported' after their parents were killed by Putin's troops, authorities say
There is also some evidence that important Ukrainian cultural sites and monuments are being targeted.
Some Ukrainians believe Russia is targeting landmarks to erase country from the map
Then there appears to be claims of the covering up of mass killings, so that the death toll vs missing vs deported can't be easily verified. Another example of systematic erasure of a people.
Mariupol mayor says siege has killed more than 10K civilians
Russia to fast-track adoptions of Ukrainian children 'forcibly deported' after their parents were killed by Putin's troops, authorities say
However, there is yet another aspect that needs to be considered: the practice of forcible transfer of children and illegal adoptions being used as a genocidal method as per Article II(e) of the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (the Genocide Convention) (“forcibly transferring children of the group to another group”).
There is also some evidence that important Ukrainian cultural sites and monuments are being targeted.
Some Ukrainians believe Russia is targeting landmarks to erase country from the map
Targeting historic monuments and cultural heritage sites is a war crime under international law, according to The Hague Convention of 1954. But that all seems to be part of Russia’s plan, some cultural authorities say. “They just want to erase from the map Ukraine — our heritage, our history, our identity and Ukraine as an independent state,” said Iryna Podolyak, Ukraine’s former vice minister of culture, who said Russia’s military seems to be targeting cultural heritage sites in addition to houses, hospitals and schools.
Then there appears to be claims of the covering up of mass killings, so that the death toll vs missing vs deported can't be easily verified. Another example of systematic erasure of a people.
Mariupol mayor says siege has killed more than 10K civilians
Boychenko gave new details of recent allegations by Ukrainian officials that Russian forces have brought mobile cremation equipment to Mariupol to dispose of the corpses of victims of the siege.
Russian forces have taken many bodies to a huge shopping center where there are storage facilities and refrigerators, Boychenko said.
“Mobile crematoriums have arrived in the form of trucks: You open it, and there is a pipe inside and these bodies are burned,” he said.