Ukrainian vigilantes may try to seek retribution for Russian war crimes, expert warns

• Ukrainian vigilante groups may try to seek justice for Russian war crimes, an expert told Insider.
• Such groups were formed from volunteer brigades during Ukraine's 2013-2014 Maidan revolution.

Ukrainian vigilante groups could try to seek revenge or accountability for Russian atrocities and war crimes being committed during the ongoing war, a Harvard anthropologist told Insider.

Emily Channell-Justice, the director of Harvard University's Temerty Contemporary Ukraine Program, said Ukraine has seen vigilante groups operate in the past.

Though there aren't any indications that vigilantes are currently operating, Channell-Justice said, Ukraine's reliance on territorial defense brigades and volunteer fighters suggests some may again choose to take a form of justice into their own hands.

During Ukraine's 2013-2014 Maidan Revolution — mass demonstrations sparked by Ukraine's leadership backing out of a European Union trade deal and developing closer ties with Moscow — volunteer brigades took shape to fight against the government and targeted pro-Russian Ukrainians, Channell-Justice said.

These volunteer brigades were "self-proclaimed police forces" and acted like "neighborhood watch groups," she told Insider.

After months of bloody civil unrest overhauled the Ukrainian government and forced former president Viktor Yanukovych from power, the Ukrainian military then absorbed the volunteer brigades, Channell-Justice said.

These brigades were not only active in Kyiv, but also in other cities and regions of Ukraine, she added.

"Because Ukraine is so reliant right now on territorial defense units and volunteers, I wouldn't be surprised if we started to see some kind of vigilante [groups] ... holding people accountable," she said.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in late February, Western leaders have slammed President Vladimir Putin's forces for their brutality and indiscriminate killing of civilians.

In the Kyiv suburb of Bucha, hundreds of civilians were found dead after Ukraine liberated the city from Russian forces last week. In the besieged southern port city of Mariupol, the city council claimed Russia is using mobile crematoriums to hide evidence of "crimes."

A handful of states — like the US — already accused Russian forces of committing war crimes and atrocities, while organizations like the United Nations and EU have opened investigations into war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Despite the international condemnation, it is unclear if Russia — which does not recognize the authority of the International Criminal Court — will ultimately face criminal consequences.

Channell-Justice says she hasn't seen any "rallying cries" calling for extra-judicial justice yet.

She added: "None of the territorial defense that I've seen, none of the Telegram channels that I've been paying attention to — none of them are saying anything like that."

However, a recent video verified by the New York Times appears to show Ukrainian soldiers executing Russian captives outside Kyiv last month.

A Ukrainian news agency claimed the ambush that led to the alleged slaughter was the work of the "Georgian Legion," a group of volunteers that formed in 2014 to fight for Ukraine after Russia invaded Crimea, The Times reported.

Meanwhile, Ukrainians are watching to see how the international community responds to Russia's ongoing assault, Channell-Justice said, like Thursday's UN General Assembly vote to suspend Russia from the Human Rights Council.

"Moves like that might prevent such vigilante justice from having to seem necessary," she said. "But if Ukraine feels abandoned, I would not be surprised if that is the step that they do take."