03/28/2022 21:49 (act 03/28/2022 21:50)
Putin continues to show firmness ©APA/AFP/SPUTNIK
Russian forces used cluster bombs in Ukraine, according to Ukrainian officials. “We have evidence of the use of cluster bombs in the Odessa region and the Kherson region,” said Attorney General Iryna Venediktova. According to a US State Department source, Russian President Vladimir Putin is unwilling to make concessions to end the war. Meanwhile, another fuel depot was hit by Russian missiles.
The attack took place in the Rivne region of northwest Ukraine, the region’s governor Vitaly Koval told the Telegram news service on Monday. Civil defense is already in place. However, due to the aerial alarm that is still in effect, citizens must remain in the protective cellars. After Dubno, Lutsk, Lviv, Mykolayiv and several camps near the capital Kiev, about a dozen fuel depots were severely damaged. Observers fear that major agricultural exporter Ukraine could run out of fuel when sowing begins.
Cluster bombs disperse dozens of small explosive charges over an area, often posing a long-term threat to civilians. Some of the explosive charges do not detonate immediately, becoming de facto landmines that often remain active and can cause serious damage long after a conflict has ended. A 1997 UN treaty prohibits the use of landmines. However, like the US, Russia did not sign this treaty.
There are reports of the use of cluster bombs in the Kiev capital region, explained Venediktova. The investigation is still ongoing there, so far there is no hard evidence. However, the use of prohibited ammunition has been proven in the mentioned areas in southern Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the Russian military reported further attacks in Ukraine. In the Zhytomyr region, two large ammunition depots were destroyed by rockets. In addition, three fighter jets were shot down. In the embattled port city of Mariupol, a helicopter that Moscow said was intended to take fighters from the Ukrainian Azov regiment to safety was destroyed. The information could not be verified.
The Russian side again accused Ukrainian troops of shooting civilians fleeing the embattled cities of Sumy and Zaporizhia. Ukraine also repeatedly accuses Russian troops of using fire to sabotage the flight of civilians. The Russian Defense Ministry said 469,683 people, including 97,345 children, had been evacuated from contested areas of Ukraine. More than 105,000 people were evacuated from Mariupol without the involvement of Ukrainian authorities. Ukrainian authorities accuse the Russian military of kidnapping civilians.