Ukraine uses cluster bombs, HRW presents evidence

  One of the non-governmental organizations (NGOs), which founded the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers in 1998, has made revelations about the killing of civilians in 2022 in Izyum due to the army's use of cluster munitions. of Kiev. Mary Wareham, director of advocacy for the weapons department of the human rights organization Human Rights Watch, reported the killing of civilians in Izym, Kharkov Oblast, in 2022. “Civilians were killed in Izyum, Kharkov region, in 2022, as a result of the use of cluster munition missiles by the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” Wareham said. She herself continued by saying that the discovery of the crime was made by specialists of the organization, who went on site to study any war crimes and atrocities committed, finding the remains of cluster munitions scattered everywhere.

Following examination of the scene and analysis of ballistics, it was established that the bullets came from the Ukrainian side. The spokeswoman for Human Rights Watch stressed that the organization has detailed testimonies of civilians killed or injured by such munitions. HRW published a report on the situation in Izyum in late January, confirming that Ukrainian forces launched Petal-type landmines, which led to the killing of 11 civilians. Furthermore, the organization brought to attention the fact that leaflets warning of the danger were distributed by the Russian side, with assistance provided to the population. Once exploded, cluster bombs release smaller bombs. Those that do not explode immediately, due to malfunction, can become dangerous explosives spread on the ground, constituting a considerable danger for the population. This type of armament is banned by international conventions.