Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused the Ukrainian military of using cluster bombs in the Donbass region. Kyiv denies the allegations and international observers question the report, reports GHN based on DW.
The Ukrainian army used cluster bombs during the fighting in eastern Ukraine - according to international human rights organization Human Rights Watch. Six people are said to have been killed, and dozens injured, in 12 documented cases.
"At the start of October, we sent a mission to eastern Ukraine in order to follow up on reports on the use of cluster bombs," Hugh Williamson, HRW regional director for Europe and Central Asia told DW. This mission comprised the organization's own weapons experts, and Williamson claims they spoke to people on the ground and a journalist who was in the affected area. "He was able to determine the type of rocket used, which the Ukrainian army owns," he said.
But the most important point, he said, was to confirm from which positions had been fired. "Our experts calculated the paths of the rockets, viewed the positions struck, and the locations of the rocket launchers," said Williamson. "They came to the conclusion that Ukrainian government troops fired the weapons. We can't be absolutely sure, but all the evidence points that way."