WASHINGTON — America authorities has despatched a letter to the United Nations human rights chief in Geneva saying it has “credible info” that Russian forces have compiled an inventory of Ukrainian residents to be killed or despatched to detention camps within the aftermath of a Russian invasion and occupation of the nation, in line with a replica of the letter obtained Sunday by The New York Instances.
The letter, which was addressed to Michelle Bachelet, the United Nations excessive commissioner for human rights, additionally stated Russian forces deliberate to hold out widespread human rights violations, which prior to now have included torturing and kidnapping civilians.
The doubtless targets could be folks against Russian actions, together with dissidents from Russia and Belarus residing in Ukraine, journalists, anti-corruption activists and members of ethnic and spiritual minorities and the L.G.B.T.Q. group.
“We even have credible info that Russian forces will doubtless use deadly measures to disperse peaceable protests or in any other case counter peaceable workouts of perceived resistance from civilian populations,” stated the letter, which was signed by Bathsheba Nell Crocker, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations workplace in Geneva.
Three U.S. officers confirmed the authenticity of the letter and its contents. On Monday, Dmitri S. Peskov, the Kremlin’s spokesman, denied the existence of such an inventory. “That is completely made up,” he instructed reporters. “There is no such thing as a such listing. It is a faux.”
Overseas Coverage first reported Friday on U.S. businesses having intelligence a couple of Russian “kill listing,” and the Washington Put up first reported on the letter on Sunday.
The letter famous that U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken had raised the human rights issues to the United Nations Safety Council when he addressed that physique on Thursday. “Particularly, he said that the US has info that signifies Russia will goal particular teams of Ukrainians,” the letter stated.
In that session, Mr. Blinken instructed Russian officers they may show their peaceable intentions to the world by not invading Ukraine and addressing their grievances by diplomacy as an alternative. Mr. Blinken plans to fulfill Sergey V. Lavrov, the international minister of Russia, in Europe this Thursday, until Russia invades Ukraine first.
President Biden and Mr. Blinken have stated U.S. intelligence signifies Russian President Vladimir V. Putin has already determined to invade. In latest weeks, Mr. Putin has amassed as many as 190,000 troops round Ukraine. Russia-backed insurgents within the east have elevated their artillery shelling of Ukrainian navy forces in latest days.
Mr. Putin invaded components of Ukraine in 2014 and annexed the nation’s Crimean Peninsula. Mr. Biden has promised to impose harsh financial sanctions on Russia if Mr. Putin carries out one other invasion.