GENEVA - UN investigators said Friday war crimes have been committed in the Ukraine conflict, listing Russian bombings of civilians areas, numerous executions, torture and horrific sexual violence.

"Based on the evidence gathered by the Commission, it has concluded that war crimes have been committed in Ukraine," Mr Erik Mose, head of the investigation team, told the United Nations Human Rights Council.

The categorical nature of the statement was unusual.

UN investigators typically couch their findings on international crimes in conditional language, referring the final confirmation of war crimes and similar violations to courts of law.

The council was set up by the Commission of Inquiry - the highest-possible level of investigation - in May to investigate crimes in Russia's war in Ukraine.

The team of three independent experts was presenting its first oral update to the council, after it launched initial investigations looking at the areas of Kyiv, Chernihiv, Kharkiv and Sumy. It said it will broaden the probe going forward.

Speaking a day before the seven-month anniversary of Russia's invasion of its neighbour, Mr Mose pointed to "the Russian Federation's use of explosive weapons with wide area effects in populated areas", which he said is "a source of immense harm and suffering for civilians."

He highlighted that a number of attacks the team investigated "had been carried out without distinguishing between civilians and combatants", including attacks with cluster munitions in populated areas.

Mass executions

The team, he said, was especially "struck by the large number of executions in the areas that we visited", and the frequent "visible signs of executions on bodies, such as hands tied behind backs, gunshot wounds to the head, and slit throats".

Mr Mose said the commission is currently investigating such deaths in 16 towns and settlements, and it has received credible allegations regarding many more cases that it will seek to document.

The investigators also received "consistent accounts of ill-treatment and torture, which were carried out during unlawful confinement".

Some of the victims told investigators they were transferred to Russia and held for weeks in prisons. Others "disappeared" following such transfers.

"Interlocutors described beatings, electric shocks and forced nudity, as well as other types of violations in such deten...