Status: 01.04.2022 14:25
Human rights organization Amnesty International reviewed testimony and examined evidence. The result: Russia used cluster munitions in Ukraine and indiscriminately attacked the civilian population.
Amnesty International has again accused Russia of war crimes in the war of aggression against Ukraine. The human rights organization said it had documented the use of banned cluster munitions and indiscriminate attacks against Ukrainian civilians.
According to testimonies and evidence, the actions of the Russian military were characterized by attacks against densely populated areas. Civilians would be killed illegally. In addition, basic services and communication would be disrupted, civilian infrastructure destroyed, and access to medicines and healthcare restricted.
Effective escape runners needed
“People besieged in cities like Kharkiv and Mariupol lack basic necessities five weeks after the start of Russian aggression,” said Janine Uhlmannsiek, Amnesty International’s European and Central Asia researcher. Effective evacuation corridors are urgently needed to evacuate people and provide emergency supplies to those left behind.
According to Amnesty International, people who suffered the siege in Kharkiv or Mariupol reported “consistently and verifiably how great the human rights catastrophe there is”. The list of war crimes committed by the Russian military is increasing every day and the number of dead, injured and traumatized is growing nonstop.
Examined ammo fragments
There is also physical evidence of cluster munitions banned in Kharkiv. Amnesty International’s weapons expert examined fragments with which 41-year-old family man Oleskyj Stowba was wounded after an attack in early March. The largest fragment came from cluster munitions.
“We were in front of the supermarket when I heard a loud noise. I turned around and saw a bunch of small fires 50 meters away from me,” Stowba told Amnesty International of the attack. He fell and felt something hit his right leg. “I dropped my pants and saw a lot of blood.”
bring those responsible to justice
Cluster bombs release hundreds of smaller explosive devices, many of which do not detonate immediately. As a result, they can continue to kill or injure people long after being knocked down. This type of ammunition has been banned internationally since 2010. 110 countries now belong to the corresponding agreement – but neither Russia nor Ukraine belong to this group.
The international community must ensure that those responsible are brought to justice and punished, said Uhlmannsiek. The investigations by the International Criminal Court and the Federal Public Ministry in Germany are important steps.