1、CRS Legal Sidebar Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Legal SidebarLegal Sidebari i The Law of War and the Russian Invasion of Ukraine March 16, 2022 In the days after Russias invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, many countries condemned the action as a violation of international la
2、w governing when countries may use force against one another. Since then, several observers, including the U.S. Secretary of State and other foreign government officials, have cited evidence that the Russian military has targeted civilians, struck protected sites, and taken other actions that violat
3、e international law regulating the conduct of war. This Legal Sidebar provides a brief introduction to the international legal framework governing the use of force in the invasion of Ukraine and concludes with a discussion of avenues for accountability and options for Congress. Terminology The law o
4、f war generally refers to the portion of international law that regulates the inception of use of force, the conduct of hostilities, and the protection of war victims, among other things. The term is often used interchangeably with the law of armed conflict and international humanitarian law. There