Russian strikes on Ukraine civilians could amount to war crimes, says UN
- Putin’s forces rained more than 80 missiles on cities across Ukraine on Monday, said Kyiv, hitting homes and other civilian infrastructure
- ‘Location and timing of the strikes, when people were commuting to work and taking children to school, is particularly shocking’, said UN
Russia’s blitz on Ukrainian cities would amount to war crimes if civilians were deliberately targeted, the United Nations said on Tuesday, branding the location and timing of the strikes “shocking”.
Russian forces rained more than 80 missiles on cities across Ukraine on Monday, according to Kyiv, in apparent retaliation for an explosion that damaged a key bridge linking the Crimean peninsula to Russia.
The strikes “may have violated the principles of the conduct of hostilities under international humanitarian law,” Ravina Shamdasani, a spokeswoman for the UN human rights office, told reporters in Geneva.
“Intentionally directing attacks against civilians and civilian objects, that is objects which are not military objectives, amounts to a war crime,” she added.
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Ukrainians sing national anthem, folk songs as they shelter from Russian missiles
Ukraine’s emergency services said on Tuesday that according to preliminary data, 19 people were killed and 105 more were injured. The UN rights office said the strikes left at least 12 civilians were dead.
“The location and timing of the strikes, when people were commuting to work and taking children to school, is particularly shocking,” said Shamdasani.