- US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he's been "shocked" by the brutality of Russian forces.
- Austin said the State Department is investigating civilian attacks by Russian forces in Ukraine.
- His comments come after President Joe Biden called Vladimir Putin a "war criminal."
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he's been "shocked" by the brutality of Russian forces in Ukraine amid continued reports of attacks on civilians.
At a press conference in Slovakia, a reporter asked Austin if assaults against civilians and population centers by Russian forces are considered war crimes, and whether it warrants any changes in US engagement policy.
"Certainly we've all been shocked by the brutality we continue to witness day in and day out," Austin said, speaking alongside Slovakia's defense minister Jaroslav Naď. "These attacks that we've seen most recently appear to be focused directly on civilians."
But Austin stopped short of mentioning the phrase 'war crimes,' though he said if civilians are "purposely" attacked, "that is a crime."
He said the US State Department is reviewing attacks by Russian forces to see if these crimes are being committed by Russian forces in Ukraine.
"We call upon Putin to cease these horrible actions," Austin said. "These are civilians and not combatants, and so they should not be targeted."
Three weeks into Russia's war against Ukraine, attacks against Ukrainian civilians have been documented across the country as Russia's strategic advance remains largely stalled.
The International Court of Justice ordered Russia on Wednesday to immediately stop its attack on Ukraine as it investigates claims of genocide, after the International Criminal Court announced earlier it would investigate potential war crimes committed by Russia.
President Joe Biden on Wednesday delivered his harshest condemnation yet of Putin, calling him "a war criminal."
His remarks came after announcing a sweeping new $800 million military aid package for Ukraine, saying the West is "united in our abhorrence of Putin's depraved onslaught."
Later on Wednesday, Russian forces bombed a theater in Mariupol that had "CHILDREN" written in Russian next to it.
"Our hearts are broken by what Russia is doing to our people," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in response.
And Josep Borrell Fontelles, the EU's high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, slammed Russia on Thursday for "committing war crimes."
"21 days of Russia bombing Ukraine's cities," he wrote on Twitter. "Committing war crimes. Targeting civilians. Starving people. Killing children. And shamelessly lying about it. #PutinsWar must stop now."