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“Please, not that place”: Our initial response to the Russian missile strike on the Ria pizza restaurant in Kramatorsk was filled with shock and disbelief. The attack resulted in the loss of 12 lives and left more than 60 people injured. Kramatorsk, being the largest, safest, and most accessible town near the Russian-Ukrainian frontline, has seen a significant decrease in population since the full-scale invasion. However, the limited services available in the town make a well-established central restaurant like Ria popular among the remaining 80,000 residents, including military personnel, volunteers, and journalists. The young waiters at Ria always provided impeccable service, understanding the time constraints of their customers. It is heartbreaking to know that some of them lost their lives in this tragedy.
After processing the shock of the attack, our thoughts turned to the question of who was present at the restaurant during the incident. It was devastating to learn that Victoria Amelina, a renowned Ukrainian writer, was critically injured and succumbed to her wounds. Just a day prior to her visit to Kramatorsk, she was moderating a panel at the Arsenal book festival in Kyiv, where we discussed the crimes committed by Russia. As we prepared for the event, Victoria and I shared our experiences of the challenges we faced while traveling outside of Ukraine and how we found the strength to carry on. The book festival served as a celebration of the resilience of the Ukrainian people. The news of Victoria’s death left us feeling numb and powerless, contemplating what could have been if she hadn’t been present at the restaurant.
The Ukrainian government has identified a Russian agent whom they suspect of providing the exact location of the restaurant. It was widely known that the establishment catered to civilians, media personnel, and military personnel on leave. However, it was highly unlikely that senior commanders would be present there, as it was not a military target. On a state-run Russian talkshow, Colonel-General Andrei Kartapolov, the head of the Duma defense committee, praised the attack on Kramatorsk, displaying a callous disregard for the loss of innocent lives.
I visited the restaurant in April, following a screening of our film documenting the attack on Kramatorsk train station in 2022, one of the deadliest incidents during the invasion. The assault claimed the lives of 63 individuals and left over 100 wounded out of the 3,000 people present at the station. Through our Reckoning Project, which aims to expose war crimes, we echoed the sentiments expressed by human rights organizations and Ukrainian prosecutors, stating that the Russian attack deliberately targeted civilians. The use of Tochka-U missiles, banned by over 100 nations, highlighted the intention to cause severe harm to human beings rather than destroy military equipment.
At the time, the world’s attention was focused on the Russian atrocities in Bucha, leaving the residents of Kramatorsk to cope with their wounds alone. While screening our film in a safe basement in Kramatorsk, we witnessed the pain experienced by witnesses, including railway and rescue workers, police, the mayor, and the governor, even after a year had passed. It was a day etched into their memory as the most horrific of their lives. As we dined at the pizza restaurant afterward, observing people chatting and enjoying their meals, we were comforted by the return of normalcy and the healing process that was taking place in the city. With the liberation of Izium in September 2022, the threat of occupation in Kramatorsk, located 40 miles to the south, diminished, giving hope to its residents.
Exactly one year prior to the attack in Kramatorsk, Russia targeted a shopping mall in Kremenchuk, situated far from the frontline, resulting in the deaths of 21 individuals, most of whom were employees. We have recently published an investigation revealing that the same type of missiles used in this attack have been employed in subsequent assaults on civilians, causing the loss of at least 21 lives near Odesa and 46 individuals who were asleep in their homes in Dnipro. These incidents contribute to a pattern of brutal and deliberate attacks on civilians.
While legal experts view the accumulation of evidence as a means to take action and build a stronger case, the media’s attention tends to wane as attacks like these become more frequent. In my discussions with international media outlets while working on documenting war crimes, I have noticed their growing disinterest when I mention victims of missile attacks. They question whether these attacks are simply a part of war. Unfortunately, Russia has succeeded in normalizing these civilian strikes, and without public pressure, lawyers are hesitant to take action.
We must view these strikes against civilians not only as tragic consequences of war but also as crimes that demand investigation, regardless of our political views or stance on the conflict. During the panel on war crimes at the book festival, my colleagues emphasized the importance of holding perpetrators accountable. As a Ukrainian who feels powerless and devastated by the injury or loss of someone dear, my focus lies on prevention. We must demand an investigation so that instead of praising the planners and executioners of these attacks, a Russian serviceman will receive an arrest warrant. While we may not be able to bring back those who have already lost their lives, we can strive to punish this plague of impunity. Perhaps, in doing so, we can prevent future attacks.
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