Amnesty International on Monday denounced the use in Ukraine of cluster munitions which killed civilians, including a child. The NGO believes that the opening of an investigation for “war crime” is justified.
According to Amnesty, a kindergarten where civilians were taking refuge in Okhtyrka, in northeastern Ukraine, was hit on Friday morning by these bombs banned in 2010 by an international convention, which neither Moscow nor Kiev have signed.
The NGO said that “the attack appears to have been carried out by Russian forces, which operated nearby and are used to using cluster munitions in populated areas”.
As a reminder, cluster bombs can contain several dozen mini-bombs which scatter over a wide area but do not all explode, turning into anti-personnel mines that can kill and maim even long after the conflict.
The NGO calls for an investigation
To justify its remarks, the NGO relied on drone images and videos taken at the scene which show that cluster munitions hit at least seven places in the building or its surroundings.
She also obtained 65 additional photos and videos from a local source.
“There is no justification for dropping cluster munitions in populated areas, let alone near a school. This attack bears all the hallmarks of Russia’s use of this internationally banned, indiscriminate weapon, and shows blatant disregard for the lives of civilians,” said Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International. .
“It’s simple, it should be investigated as a war crime,” she continued.
