Cultural Conquest: Russia's Strategic Assault on Ukrainian Heritage as Both a Catalyst for and a Casualty of Conflict

Vladimir Putin and his government have disseminated fabricated claims about Ukraine’s history, language, and sovereignty as a rationalization for the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Not only has the war resulted in grave human loss, but it has also caused widespread destruction throughout Ukraine. Nongovernmental organizations, foreign governments, academics, and Ukrainian citizens have collected robust evidence that Russian forces are purposefully targeting repositories of Ukrainian identity. The intentional destruction of this protected property is considered a war crime under the Rome Statute. Following the International Criminal Court’s (“ICC”) first successful prosecution for the destruction of protected property in 2016, there has been a resurgence in the desire to protect cultural property internationally, regionally, and locally. Moreover, news reports, videos, and photographs of the widespread damage in Ukraine have put the world on notice to Russia’s crimes. Considering the current global climate, the ICC has the best chance of success by prosecuting Russian officials for the war crime of destroying protected property.