Ukraine not using cluster munitions – NSDC

Tuesday, October 21, 2014 - 16:22 (EEST) Section: Latest news

Reports claiming that Ukraine used banned cluster munitions in the area of the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) in eastern Ukraine ate untrue.
Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) information and analytical center spokesman Andriy Lysenko said this at a briefing on Tuesday, Ukrinform’s correspondent reported.
“During the anti-terrorist operation the Ukrainian military did not use the weapons banned by international legal acts. This also concerns cluster bombs,” Lysenko said.
He said that international human rights organizations should produce evidence in their reports, rather than just state the facts.
“We are very grateful to international organizations that are monitoring the situation in the ATO area and help tell about the situation in temporarily occupied territories. However, we want to ask representatives of international organizations to make more detailed reports and provide relevant facts and evidence,” he said.
As reported, Human Rights Watch, in a report published on October 20, accused Ukrainian government forces of using cluster munitions near Donetsk in early October. In particular, according to the organization, cluster shells of Uragan and Smerch multiple launch rocket systems were used. Experts concluded that six people, including an employee of the International Committee of the Red Cross, had been killed due to the use of these weapons. HRW said that the use of cluster bombs or rockets in populated areas was a violation of rules of war and could be considered a war crime.