Amnesty Int’l accuses Russia of war crimes in Ukraine, killing thousands in Kharkiv

Amnesty International on Monday, accused Russia of war crimes in Ukraine, with repeated cluster bomb attacks on Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, leading to the deaths of thousands of civilians.

The global human rights group in a report, said it had uncovered proof in Kharkiv of the repeated use by Russian forces of 9N210 and 9N235 cluster bombs and scatterable land mines, all of which are banned under international conventions.

“The repeated bombardments of residential neighborhoods in Kharkiv are indiscriminate attacks which killed and injured thousands of civilians, and as such constitute war crimes,” the rights group said in the report.

“This is true both for the strikes carried out using cluster (munitions) as well as those conducted using other types of unguided rockets and unguided artillery shells.

Read also:Amnesty International indicts Boko Haram, Nigerian Army in killing of older citizens

“The continued use of such inaccurate explosive weapons in populated civilian areas, in the knowledge that they are repeatedly causing large numbers of civilian casualties, may even amount to directing attacks against the civilian population,” AI said.

“People have been killed in their homes and in the streets, in playgrounds and in cemeteries, while queueing for humanitarian aid, or shopping for food and medicine.

“The repeated use of widely banned cluster munitions is shocking, and a further indication of utter disregard for civilian lives.

“The Russian forces responsible for these horrific attacks must be held accountable.”

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