Ukraine Troops Hit Village With Cluster Munitions To Push Back Russian Forces - Reporters - UrduPoint

The Ukrainian military in March used cluster munitions in an attempt to take control over a village near the city of Izium in the east of the country, the New York Times reported on Monday.

Cluster munitions, which include missiles, bombs, mortar and artillery shells, are banned under an international convention signed by more than 100 nations in 2010. However. Ukraine, along with the United States and Russia, is not among signatories of the convention.

The Ukrainian troops shelled the village of Husarivka in an attempt to push back the Russian military units from the positions held there. International human rights groups accused Russia of using banned munitions there, but the New York Times, said that based on reviewing evidence during the visit to the area it concluded the missile with cluster munitions had been launched by the Ukrainian troops.

Nobody was killed during the attack then but at least two civilians were killed in a subsequent attack by the Ukraine forces to retake the village, the report said.

Mary Wareham, advocacy director of the Arms Division of Human Rights Watch, said the Ukrainian troops hit their own people with cluster munitions and their use is unacceptable.

"It's definitely dismaying to hear that evidence has emerged indicating that Ukraine may have used cluster munitions in this current conflict," Wareham said.

New York Times personnel at the scene said they collected metal parts of antipersonnel munitions from the used missile shells.

The attack in Husarivka appears to be the first verified use of cluster munitions by Ukrainian troops since the beginning of Russia's military operation, the report said. In 2015, Kiev used such munitions in the war in the Donbas, it added.

UN Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo said earlier the United Nations is investigating allegations that Ukrainian forces have used cluster munitions during the ongoing conflict with Russia.

Russia, which has repeatedly said it does not violate existing conventions regulating armed conflict, has said Ukrainian troops are using typical terrorist methods, such as hiding behind civilians and positioning weapons systems in civilian areas. Russia has also accused the Ukrainian military of using cluster munitions, including in the March 14 missile attack on Donetsk that killed 21 civilians.