HRW not satisfied with Ukraine cluster bomb investigation

Human Rights Watch (HRW) says Ukraine has failed to probe its army’s use of banned cluster bombs against civilians in the country’s war-torn eastern regions.

HRW Executive Director Kenneth Roth said on Wednesday that they were not satisfied with an investigation by Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office into the military’s use of cluster bombs in the east of the country.

“Instead of analyzing physical evidence, the presence of weapons in depots” was looked into, the result of which was that the weapons had not been used, Roth added.

He went on to say that Ukraine should request an International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation into the violations being carried out in eastern Ukraine.

During its own investigation, HRW found that Ukrainian forces had used cluster bombs in residential areas in eastern Ukraine.

Ukraine’s mainly Russian-speaking regions in the east have witnessed deadly clashes between pro-Russia forces and the Ukrainian army since Kiev launched military operations to silence the pro-Moscow protests in mid-April.

According to the latest figures released by the United Nations, more than 4,300 people have been killed in the fighting. In addition, nearly a million people have been forced to flee their homes.

Kiev and its Western allies accuse neighboring Russia of having a hand in the chaotic situation in eastern Ukraine. However, the Kremlin has repeatedly denied the allegation as baseless.