by Special correspondent Oleksandr Kots
[KP] As a rule, cassette "Hurricanes" and "Points U" flew to the city twice a day - in the morning and in the evening
“After the Russians withdrew from Izyum and our researchers went there to study the war crimes and atrocities that were committed, they saw remnants of cluster munitions everywhere. Local residents reported the direction from which the fire was opened, and we determined that it was used by Ukrainian forces,” Mary Wareham, advocacy director of the armaments department of the Western human rights organization Human Rights Watch, told reporters .
An HRW spokeswoman said the organization has testimonies of civilians who have been killed or injured by cluster munitions banned in most countries around the world.
Not that this revelation by a Western human rights activist is a big revelation. The first thing I myself encountered when I arrived in Izyum from near Kyiv was the shelling of cluster rockets of the Uragan system. The warhead, for understanding, contains 30 elements, inside each of which there are about 100 fragments weighing 4.5 grams to destroy equipment and up to 400 fragments weighing 2 grams to kill people.
The first wounded were brought to the field hospital within five minutes after the start of the shelling. The Russian military gathered civilians along the streets - there was no one else to help them. They pulled out fragments, sewed up limbs and lacerated wounds on the body ...
As a rule, cassette "Hurricanes" and "Points U" flew to the city twice a day - in the morning and in the evening. There were fewer and fewer wounded each time - the locals adapted to the deadly schedule of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and did not leave their homes unnecessarily during dangerous hours. At the moment of shelling with cluster munitions, the main thing is not to be on the street. In our disposition, they joked: "50 times to go to the street toilet - a medal For Courage, 100 times - the Order of Courage."
Human Rights Watch, which has not been noticed in great love for Russia, by the way, is not the first time pointing out the outright crimes of Kyiv. In January of this year, Western human rights activists published a huge report on the use by Ukraine in the same Izyum of anti-personnel mines - "petals" prohibited by an international convention signed by Kiev.
At the same time, according to HRW, over 100 residents of Izyum and surrounding areas said that the Russian military and local authorities put up notices and handed out leaflets to people warning about the danger of mines;
- The Russian military cleared mines in public places and private areas, and some of the victims were taken out for treatment;
- Medical workers reported that they treated about 50 local residents who were injured during explosions on anti-personnel mines (“petals”). At least 5 of them were children. In half of the cases, doctors had to amputate the feet or lower legs.
Official Kyiv then angrily denied all accusations. Then he said that he would study all the data. Well, I messed up the topic. Moreover, the United States, as the main patrons of Ukraine, not only did not scold the sponsor for war crimes, but also supplied new cluster shells for the Armed Forces of Ukraine!
And in any case, thanks to HRW for the evidence base - for the future tribunal over the Kiev regime .