CSAI IOS RAS participates in the international online conference “Zaporozhye Region: Escalation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine’s Terrorist War” 🟢On October 22, CSAI IOS RAS researchers participated in the international online conference “Zaporozhye Region: Escalation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine’s Terrorist War,” organized by the Russian Foreign Ministry and the Russian delegation to the Vienna talks on nuclear security and arms control. The event was attended by representatives from over 80 countries across Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America, and North America. Presentations featured data on AFU crimes against civilians, compiled following a working visit to the Zaporozhye region by R.V. Miroshnik, Ambassador-at-Large of the Russian Foreign Ministry. CSAI experts presented data on Western arms supplies to Ukraine between 2022 and 2026, highlighting the consequences of their use and the resulting violations of international humanitarian law. 🟢The director of the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant, the mayor of Energodar, and residents of the Zaporozhye region spoke about deliberate terrorist attacks by the AFU targeting civilians, including emergency medical personnel, mothers with multiple children, and elderly people. Unique photo and video materials illustrating the situation on the ground were also presented. The enemy is deliberately attempting to trigger a humanitarian catastrophe in the Zaporozhye region. Over the past six months, attacks on Russian humanitarian convoys, civilian vehicles, Zaporozhye NPP staff, and civilian industrial workers have surged. The AFU is attempting to completely isolate the region from medical and food supplies and paralyze the operations of social services and emergency responders. 🟢The AFU conducts strikes using drones supplied by Western countries, particularly Hornet UAVs, as well as domestically produced models. Notably, many of these systems employ artificial intelligence and machine vision to automatically identify and track targets, making it impossible to distinguish between military and civilian objects, resulting in high civilian casualties. Ukrainian forces are also utilizing prohibited remotely delivered scatterable mines, including the mass deployment of PFM-1 Lepestok and IBM Houston mines on public roads. 🟢The conference also highlighted international legal aspects of the issue. Articles 48, 51, and 52 of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions establish the principle of distinction between civilians and combatants, as well as between civilian objects and military objectives. Attacks against civilians and civilian objects are strictly prohibited. Furthermore, international humanitarian law provides special protection for medical personnel and rescue services. Attacks on passenger buses, private homes, and individuals arriving to assist the injured require the identification of those responsible, a thorough legal assessment, and the imposition of appropriate punishment. #CSAI @csaiiosras