Senate declares Vladimir Putin a ‘war criminal’ and calls for him to be investigated: Unanimous resolution is passed condemning the Russian president as his attack on Ukraine enters 21st day and 3 million have fled

• A unanimous vote was passed late Tuesday seeking investigations into Putin and his regime over war crimes during the country’s invasion of Ukraine 
• The vote comes as Putin’s invasion is in its 21st day and an estimated three million people have fled Ukraine since the start of the conflict 
• Russian forces in Mariupol have rounded up 400 people from houses neighbouring the city’s hospital number two and are refusing to let them leave
• The bipartisan measure from Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., says the Senate strongly condemns the ‘violence, war crimes. crimes against humanity’ being carried out Russian military forces under Putin’s direction 

The US Senate has declared that Russian President Vladimir Putin is a war criminal and has called for him to be investigated. 

A unanimous vote was passed late Tuesday seeking investigations into Putin and his regime over war crimes during the country’s invasion of Ukraine.   

The vote comes as Putin’s invasion is in its 21st day and an estimated three million people have fled Ukraine since the start of the conflict.  

And Russian forces have started shelling the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia where thousands of refugees are sheltering after fleeing Mariupol – where 500 hostages are being held in a hospital as human shields.  

The bombardment came hours after an estimated 20,000 civilians arrived in Zaporizhzhia, the first port of call for those fleeing Mariupol along a humanitarian corridor – supposedly safe passages which allow civilians to leave Ukraine. 

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of N.Y., walks on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, in Washington

Russian President Vladimir Putin stands while waiting for Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko prior to their talks in Moscow, on March 11

Aftermath of shelling of a residential building by the Russian troops in Svyatoshyn district of Kyiv, capital of Ukraine yesterday 

Russia rained shells on areas around Kyiv and within the city, where a 12-story apartment building erupted in flames after being hit by shrapnel early on Wednesday

Kyiv was rocked overnight by new explosions which wounded at least two people and damaged two residential buildings hours after the city was placed under curfew amid warnings to brace for a 36-hour bombardment at the hands of Russian forces

Vladimir Putin’s troops launched rocket strikes on the city near overnight, hitting a railway station, though there were no reports of casualties, the regional governor Oleksander Vasylyovych said in an announcement on Facebook.    

Russian forces in Mariupol have rounded up 400 people from houses neighbouring the city’s hospital number two, along with 100 doctors and patients who were already inside, and are refusing to let them leave, according to regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko.   

Aid agencies have warned Mariupol is facing a humanitarian catastrophe, since heavy bombardment has left some 400,000 inhabitants with no running water or heating, and food running short.  

And Kyiv was rocked overnight by new explosions which wounded at least two people and damaged two residential buildings hours after the city was placed under curfew amid warnings to brace for a 36-hour bombardment at the hands of Russian forces.  

The bipartisan measure from Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., says the Senate strongly condemns the ‘violence, war crimes. crimes against humanity’ being carried out Russian military forces under Putin’s direction. 

It encourages international criminal courts to investigate Putin, his security council and military leaders for possible war crimes.

‘These atrocities deserve to be investigated for war crimes,’ said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

Aftermath of Russian shelling of a 12-storey residential building in Svyatoshyn district of Kyiv early on Wednesday, hours after the Ukrainian capital was placed under a 36-hour curfew

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, joined from left by Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., and Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., speaks to reporters after a Republican strategy meeting at the Capitol in Washington

The measure was approved swiftly and without dissent as lawmakers in Congress continue to muscle a bipartisan show of force against the Russian war in Ukraine. First introduced almost two weeks ago, the Senate resolution would not carry the force of law, but is another example of Congress providing the Biden administration political support to take a tough line against Putin’s aggression.

Last week, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris embraced calls for an international war crimes investigation of Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, citing the ‘atrocities’ of bombing civilians, including a maternity hospital.

Speaking alongside Polish President Andrzej Duda at a press conference in Warsaw, Harris stopped short of directly accusing Russia of having committed war crimes.

‘Absolutely there should be an investigation, and we should all be watching,’ said Harris, noting that the United Nations has already started a process to review allegations.

The International Criminal Court had earlier announced it has launched an investigation that could target senior officials believed responsible for war crimes and other violations over the war in Ukraine.

The resolution approved by the Senate has been embraced by senators from both parties, Republicans and Democrats.

It says the Senate condemns Putin, the Russian Federation, the Russian Security Council, members of the Russian military and others of committing flagrant acts of aggression and other atrocities that rise to the level of war crimes.

The resolution calls for the U.S. and others to seek investigations of Putin and his regime at the International Criminal Court and International Court of Justice for potential war crimes.

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