GENEVA, Sept 23 (Reuters) – A U.S. envoy said that Russia has forcibly deported between 900,000-1.6 million Ukrainians, citing unnamed sources, and urged a U.N.-mandated commission of inquiry to investigate.
“We urge the commissioners to continue to examine the growing evidence of Russia’s filtration operations, forced deportations and disappearances,” U.S. Ambassador Michele Taylor told the Geneva-based Human Rights Council, referring to a commission of inquiry into Ukraine.
“Numerous sources indicate that Russian authorities have interrogated, detained and forcible deported between 900,000 and 1.6 million Ukrainian citizens,” she said.
Moscow, which invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, has denied intentionally targeting civilians.
Russian banks lost around $25 billion from Ukraine conflict
Russia’s banks have lost an estimated 1.5 trillion roubles ($25.5 billion) as a result of the fallout from the conflict in Ukraine, a central bank official said on Friday.
Maxim Lyubomudrov, who heads the regulator’s department that supervises the country’s largest banks, said this was an “acceptable” level of losses and that the government had plans in place to support Russia’s lenders through the crisis.
