HRW: Kramatorsk attack was a suspected war crime
The Human Rights Watch organization sees the suspicion of a Russian war crime confirmed in the case of the rocket hit at a train station with waiting refugees in eastern Ukraine last April. Russia used cluster munitions to kill dozens of people trying to flee the fighting in the region, violating martial law, HRW said in Kiev on Tuesday. “The attack constitutes a suspected war crime,” the statement on the published major study on the case said. Russia denies firing the missile on April 8.
At that time, hundreds of people were standing at the station when the rocket hit. Russia had claimed it was the Ukrainian armed forces themselves. At least 58 people died and more than 100 were injured. “Russia’s use of a decidedly indiscriminate weapon at a known important evacuation center should be investigated and those responsible held accountable,” the statement said.
Accordingly, the experts also analyzed satellite images and went to the point from which the Russian troops are said to have fired the rocket. Evidence was also secured there. The Ukrainian armed forces had defended the region and still have Kramatorsk under their control to this day. Russia, on the other hand, has announced that it wants to take over the entire Donetsk region. In violation of international law, Russian President Vladimir Putin annexed the Donetsk region and the regions of Luhansk, Cherson and Zaporizhia in the fall.
HRW criticizes the use of cluster munitions. “Cluster munitions open up in the air and disperse dozens or even hundreds of units of small submunitions over a large area.” Russia and Ukraine have not yet joined the treaty banning cluster munitions. HRW not only complained about the use of cluster munitions by Russia. “The Ukrainian armed forces have also allegedly used cluster munitions rockets on several occasions,” it said.