"In Kharkiv, people were killed in their homes and on the streets while they were visiting playgrounds with their children, commemorating their loved ones in cemeteries, while queuing for aid deliveries or when shopping," reported Janine Uhlmannsiek from the German branch of Amnesty International, referring to a new report entitled "Anyone can die at any time".

The human rights organization accused Russia of having repeatedly used cluster munitions and unguided missiles on residential areas and playgrounds since the beginning of the war of aggression in Ukraine. Uhlmannsiek demanded that those responsible for these attacks should be brought to justice and that the injured and the families of the victims should be compensated. Cluster munitions are missiles or bombs that burst while still in the air over the target, releasing a variety of small explosive devices.

Ukrainian troops attack from residential areas

Conversely, according to Amnesty, Ukrainian troops often carry out attacks from residential areas, which puts the lives of civilians there at risk. "This violates international humanitarian law, but in no way justifies repeated indiscriminate attacks by Russian troops," the human rights organization said that in the region since the beginning of the war 606 civilians have been killed and 1248 were injured. Most of the attacks investigated by Amnesty International would have resulted in numerous deaths within a large radius.

Cluster bombs are outlawed in most countries around the world. More than a hundred countries already belong to a convention against cluster munitions that has come into force 606, including Germany. However, Russia and Ukraine have not signed the agreement. (dpa)