IN FOCUS: Ukraine & Moldova Brief

Review of August 2024

Petra Bošková, Lydia Chobotová, Sára Gregová

UKRAINE

 Photo: Shutterstock.com

Ukraine’s Cultural Revival Amid War

On May 7, 2022, a Russian missile struck a museum dedicated to the 18th-century Ukrainian poet and philosopher Hryhory Skovoroda. Despite the devastation, where the roof was destroyed and walls burned, Skovoroda’s statue miraculously survived, according to the museum’s deputy director, Nastya Ishchenko.

This museum is just one of 432 cultural sites in Ukraine that have been damaged since Russia’s full-scale invasion began on February 24 2022, as reported by UNESCO. The widespread destruction of cultural heritage has not only distanced Ukrainians from the shared cultural space dominated by Russia during the Soviet era, but it has also sparked a renewed interest in their own cultural identity. This resurgence has been described as a “Ukrainian cultural boom.”

Among the damaged sites, 139 are religious, 214 are of historical or artistic significance, and 31 are museums. The Hryhoriy Skovoroda Museum had anticipated potential attacks and had already moved its most valuable artefacts to a safer location.

In areas occupied by Russia, Ukrainian museums have faced significant losses due to looting. In Kherson, Russian forces removed truckloads of artworks and historical artefacts, with over 10,000 items reported missing. Some of these items have been traced to Crimea, but most are still unaccounted for.

In addition to looting, Russians have altered museum exhibits in occupied areas to promote pro-Russian propaganda. For example, a museum in Berdyansk replaced an exhibit on Ukraine’s modern history with one glorifying Russia’s “special military operation.”

Cultural institutions have also suffered direct attacks. In May 2022, the Faktor Druk printing house in Kharkiv, a key facility for Ukrainian publishers, was destroyed in what was widely seen as a deliberate strike. The attack killed seven people and destroyed 50,000 books, causing a significant blow to the morale of Ukrainian society.

Despite these challenges, Ukrainians are rallying around their cultural heritage. Musicians, writers, and artists are more active than ever, with new performances and full theatres becoming a common sight. Volunteers are even delivering musical instruments to children in war zones, providing them with emotional escape through music.

As Ishchenko reflects, the invasion has led Ukrainians to value their threatened culture even more, uniting them around shared cultural values to preserve for future generations.

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Ukraine’s Ratification of the Rome Statute

On August 24, 2023, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed into law the bill ratifying the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, marking Ukraine’s formal accession to the ICC.

This milestone was set in motion on August 15 when President Zelenskyy submitted the bill to the Ukrainian parliament, which swiftly ratified it on August 21. It represents a significant step towards reinforcing accountability and supporting international justice efforts.

However, the significance of this progress was tempered by reports that the Ukrainian government invoked a provision to delay the ICC’s jurisdiction over war crimes committed by Ukrainian nationals for seven years. This caveat has raised concerns about the full extent of Ukraine’s commitment to the ICC’s principles, particularly in terms of universal accountability.

Ukraine’s journey to ratification has been long and complex. The country initially signed the Rome Statute in 2000 but refrained from ratifying it due to constitutional constraints. This legal barrier remained until 2016, when an amendment to the Constitution removed what was deemed the final obstacle to ratification. Despite the amendment, a draft law was eventually withdrawn, delaying Ukraine’s accession to the ICC.

In the interim, Ukraine leveraged Article 12(3) of the Rome Statute, which allows non-member states to accept the ICC’s jurisdiction on a case-by-case basis. Ukraine has made two such declarations: one covering crimes committed on its territory between November 2013 and February 2014 and another covering crimes from February 2014 onwards. As a result, the ICC has had limited jurisdiction over genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity committed in Ukraine since November 2013.

The ICC has already made significant progress in Ukraine. In March 2022, the ICC Prosecutor started an investigation into the Russia-Ukraine conflict, looking into crimes allegedly committed by all sides. So far, arrest warrants have only been issued for Russian officials, but the Prosecutor can also charge Ukrainian nationals if enough evidence is found.

However, Ukraine’s parliament passed a bill stating that for seven years after joining the ICC, the country won’t allow the ICC to prosecute war crimes committed by Ukrainian citizens. According to Amnesty International, „The people of Ukraine deserve justice, but effective justice cannot be selective. While welcoming Ukraine’s ratification, Amnesty International calls on Ukraine to urgently reconsider its intention to limit the ICC’s jurisdiction for seven years over alleged war crimes committed by its nationals..“

While Ukraine’s ratification of the Rome Statute is a positive step towards greater accountability, the seven-year delay in ICC jurisdiction over potential Ukrainian war crimes casts a shadow over the country’s full commitment to international justice.

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Ukrainian surprise attack in Russian Kursk region

On August 6, Ukrainian troops crossed into the Kursk region in Russia, marking a surprise offensive attack to divert Russian troops´ advances in Donbas and to increase its bargaining power in future peace talks.

The attack, planned in complete secrecy, was initiated in the early hours of August 6. Ukrainian troops began to capture settlements and prisoners of war and began destroying several bridges and critical (military) infrastructure. Russian secret intelligence failed to predict the attack, allowing for a swift invasion, with little to no resistance, of Ukrainian forces during the first days. Ukraine also managed to pull the attack off thanks to Western-made armoured vehicles, Strykers and Marders, air defences and supporting artillery, jamming of Russian communication channels, and thermal protection for body armour, helping troops evade heat-detecting drones.

President Zelenskyy and Army Commander Syrskyi commented that this attack´s primary goal was to create a buffer zone that would divert Moscow´s attention from Donbas to Kursk. Pokrovsk, a town in Donbas, presents an important transport hub for the Ukrainian military, and Russia is advancing in this region. Whether Russian troops were diverted from this region to Kursk remains disputed. Russia claimed it would not send conscripts to Kursk, however, some human rights groups argue reserves, prisoners and foreigners inside Russia are being recruited, with promises of large salaries acting as motivation, while troops from Donbas are allegedly not transferred. On the other hand, Ukraine alleges around 30,000 Russian soldiers were moved from different regions to Kursk, however, troops in Pokrovsk were meanwhile strengthened, thus not truly achieving the goal of this Ukrainian attack in Kursk.

According to official Ukrainian information, as of August 27, Ukrainian troops captured 1,294 square kilometres of territory, around 100 settlements, and almost 600 POWs in the Kursk region. These advances can be used to increase Ukraine´s negotiation power in future talks, however, Ukraine denied any negotiations until Russian troops withdrew from Ukraine.

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MOLDOVA

 Photo: gov.md

Baltic states support Moldova´s EU membership

On August 28, Presidents of the three Baltic countries visited Moldova on its Independence Day and expressed their support for Moldova´s EU accession ahead of the planned referendum in autumn.

Moldovan President Maia Sandu welcomed her colleagues from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania during the celebrations of Moldova´s Independence Day. Sandu highlighted that ‘’in crucial moments, friends mutually support, and this visit is a clear signal of the support for Moldova,” and reminded that, similarly to the Baltic states twenty years ago, Moldova is now on the path to joining the EU. Similarly, Moldovan PM Dorin Recean thanked the Baltic states for their unwavering support and expressed that “we have true friends with us, who support us and show us, by their own example, that the future is in our hands. Today, we celebrate not only Independence Day, but also the strong partnerships which we have edified with our friends from Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia.”

During the visit, the three Baltic presidents  – President of Lithuania Gitanas Nauseda, President of Estonia Alar Karis and President of Latvia Edgars Rinkēvičs – signed a joint declaration affirming their support for Moldova and its EU accession. The joint declaration reads: “We believe that a united, democratic and prosperous Moldova is for the benefit not only of its citizens but also of the entire European continent. We fully support the future accession of Moldova to the European Union”. Furthermore, they pledged to deepen bilateral cooperation in the sectors of commerce, investment, energy security, education and hybrid threats. They also urged Moldovans to participate in the upcoming EU referendum that will take place on October 20.

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Eight Arrested in Moldova for Scamming Ukrainian Soldiers

On August 14, Moldovan police arrested eight Ukrainian refugees accused of defrauding Ukrainian soldiers who were purchasing vehicles for use in the ongoing conflict with Russia. This operation was carried out through a collaboration between Moldovan and Ukrainian law enforcement.

The suspects, all Ukrainian citizens who fled to Moldova after the war began, allegedly targeted around 40 Ukrainian soldiers. These soldiers had paid for off-road vehicles they needed on the frontlines, inspired by fundraising campaigns that emphasized the importance of such vehicles for Ukraine’s defence efforts.

The vehicles were advertised online by the suspects, but once the soldiers transferred the money, the vehicles were never delivered, nor were the funds returned. Instead, the suspects reportedly withdrew the money from ATMs in Moldova or spent it directly.

According to Moldovan authorities, the suspects are aged between 28 and 43, and one of them is a woman. This group has reportedly been operating since 2022, and after swindling their victims, they engaged in money laundering.

The joint operation between Chisinau and Kyiv led to more than 20 searches in Moldova and over 10 in Ukraine. Authorities in Moldova seized 22 luxury cars, including a Porsche, a Mercedes-AMG G63, and several BMW models, allegedly bought with the scammed money. They also confiscated 4.5 kg of gold jewellery, cash, and over 80 bank cards from Moldova, Ukraine, and Russia.

While Moldovan officials state that around 40 Ukrainian soldiers were defrauded, Ukrainian authorities believe the actual number of victims exceeds 100. The suspects are currently being held in custody for 30 days, though their lawyers have appealed this decision. The Chisinau Court of Appeals has yet to make a ruling on the appeal.

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Moldova Expels Russian Diplomat

Moldova declared a Russian Embassy employee in Chisinau as persona non grata on August 1, giving him 48 hours to leave the country. This decision followed a raid by Moldovan security forces on the parliament building, leading to the detention of two Moldovan officials in connection with a spying investigation.

The Russian Ambassador to Moldova, Oleg Vasnetsov, was summoned by the Foreign Ministry and handed a note regarding the expulsion. The decision was based on evidence showing that the Russian diplomat engaged in activities “incompatible with diplomatic status” on Moldovan soil. Although the diplomat’s identity was not officially disclosed, sources identified him as Dmitry Kelov, the deputy military attaché at the Russian Embassy.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry condemned Moldova’s decision as an “unfriendly step” and warned of potential retaliation.

The expulsion came shortly after Moldovan security forces conducted a raid on the Parliament. They detained a parliamentary employee and a border police official on charges of treason and conspiracy. These individuals are accused of sharing information with a Russian Embassy staff member that could harm Moldova’s national interests.

President Maia Sandu, who has been pursuing a pro-Western agenda since taking office in 2020, stressed the importance of ensuring that those involved in the treason case are punished to the fullest extent of the law.

Under Sandu’s leadership, Moldova has taken steps to reduce Russia’s long-standing influence over its political landscape. In August 2022, Moldova expelled 45 out of 70 Russian diplomats after reports revealed that the embassy had an unusually high number of antennas suspected of being used for intelligence gathering.

Despite these expulsions, an investigation later revealed that some remaining diplomats still had ties to Russia’s Federal Security Service and military intelligence.

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