Demand for a special court to hear Russia's "war crimes" in Ukraine

The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, accused Russia of committing "atrocious war crimes" in Ukraine and demanded the creation of a special tribunal to look into and prosecute them.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine "is an exceptional scenario and it deserves strong reaction of the world community," von der Leyen said in an interview on Tuesday at the World Economic Forum in the Swiss resort of Davos.

The battle in Ukraine is "a fight of democracy against despotism and for the respect of international law," according to Ursula von der Leyen of the European Commission.

The top EU official stated, "Because this is a war for democracy against authoritarianism and for the respect of international law, as well as a fight for Ukraine's survival and protecting its sovereignty and territory."

Therefore, she continued, "We [the European Union] believe this requires a separate tribunal." "What Russia has done to the Ukrainian people cannot go unpunished,"

A special international tribunal to punish Russian officials for Moscow's invasion of Ukraine has been called for by the Kyiv government.

"We will never pardon any torture or the taking of human life. Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian presidential staff, vowed in Davos that every criminal would be held accountable.

At least 44 people were killed when a Russian missile attacked an apartment building in the city of Dnipro, according to Ukraine, which said on Tuesday that 22 more people were still missing. The attack on Saturday was among the bloodiest since Russia entered Ukraine almost 11 months ago.

The Kremlin has denied that its troops were to fault.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, pledged to hold those responsible for the attack accountable, calling it "a critical job" for his country and its Western friends.

In a video speech late on Monday, Zelenskyy stated that "this strike at Dnipro as well as other comparable strikes fall in particular under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court."

“And we will use all available opportunities – both national and international – to ensure that all Russian murderers, everyone who gives and executes orders on missile terror against our people, face legal sentences and to ensure that they serve their punishment.”