“We urge all parties to adhere strictly to international humanitarian and human rights law. They must ensure the protection of civilian lives and refrain from indiscriminate attacks and the use of prohibited weapons such as cluster munitions. We also call on all parties to allow and facilitate access of humanitarian agencies to provide assistance to civilians affected by hostilities.
“Amnesty International will be monitoring the situation closely to expose violations of international law by all parties.”
Background
Amnesty International has previously warned of the devastating human rights risks of further armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine, including threats to civilian lives, livelihoods and infrastructure, and potential acute food shortages and mass displacement. The organization has documented the severe human rights toll of the 2014-2015 conflict in eastern Ukraine, in which war crimes and crimes against humanity were committed.