The US Department of State Wednesday formally accused Russia of committing war crimes in Ukraine.

In a statement, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that the Department of State’s assessment was based on “a careful review of available information from public and intelligence sources.” Specifically, the statement affirmed that “[m]any of the sites Russia’s forces have hit have been clearly identifiable as in-use by civilians,” including a Mariupol maternity hospital and a theater sheltering civilians from Russian shelling.

Relying on Ukrainian assessments, Blinken stated that some 2,400 civilians have been killed in Mariupol as of March 22. Separate reports from the UN put the number of civilian casualties outside Mariupol at around 2,500, noting the actual number is likely much higher.

This is not the first time Russia’s military strategy has led to such severe civilian casualties. According to Blinken, Russia President Vladimir Putin has used intense bombardment in cities to “break the will of the people.” Putin’s forces used the same tactics in Grozny, Chechnya, and Aleppo, Syria. 

The Department of State’s confirmation comes a week after President Biden commented that Russia’s actions constitute war crimes. Earlier this month, the UN Human Rights Council created a commission to investigate reports of Russian human rights violations. On March 15, the US Senate unanimously adopted a resolution calling Russian President Vladimir Putin a war criminal.

The Department of State’s report concluded by stating that the US will continue to monitor violations and use every tool available to hold Russia accountable, including criminal prosecution.