According to Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence (HUR), Russia had been planning its genocidal actions well before the full-scale invasion. Preparations included the creation of execution lists, the deployment of mobile crematoriums, and the establishment of mass burial sites.
"The execution lists were to include Ukrainian language, literature, and history teachers, veterans of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO), journalists, scientists, writers, priests of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and other denominations supportive of Ukraine, public and political figures, as well as leaders of state and local authorities," Budanov stated.
He further highlighted that Putin’s July 2021 article denied the Ukrainian nation’s right to exist. Backed by this rhetoric, Russian propaganda, high-ranking state officials, and the entire state machinery began openly advocating for the extermination of Ukrainians. With the leader’s "approval," this genocidal narrative became not just a state policy but a deeply ingrained societal belief imposed from the top down.
"We have witnessed horrifying mass crimes committed against Ukrainian citizens, evidence of which has shocked the entire world. These atrocities are a direct manifestation of Russia’s genocidal policies under its government and military leadership," Budanov emphasized.
