Russian 'dumb bombs' killed civilians lining up for food in Chernihiv, Ukraine, Amnesty says

By Joshua Boscaini

Posted 9m ago9 minutes ago

The strikes caused widespread damage.(AFP: Dimitar Dilkoff)

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A Russian air strike has killed dozens of civilians queuing for food in the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv, an investigation has found.

Key points:

• Regional authorities say 47 people were killed when Russian aircraft dropped bombs on a residential area
• Amnesty International said there were no identifiable military targets at or near the site of the attack
• The WHO said there had been 18 attacks on medical facilities since the Russian invasion started

Multiple air strikes hit the small neighbourhood square formed by Viacheslava Chornovola and Kruhova streets in Chernihiv about 12:15pm on March 3, according to an Amnesty International investigation.

At least 47 civilians were killed in the attack and surrounding buildings were severely damaged, the Chernihiv Regional Administration said.

Witnesses said many of the victims were lining up at a building to get bread.

Amnesty said there were no identifiable military targets at or near the site of the attack, and the strike was most likely carried out with eight unguided aerial bombs, also known as "dumb bombs".

The international non-government organisation said it based its findings on new interviews and verified footage, including one video which showed eight munitions being dropped in close succession and falling in a line.

Amnesty International is calling on the ICC to investigate the bombing.(AFP: Dimitar Dilkoff)

It said dash-cam footage it obtained showed munitions falling from the sky and the sound of a low and quick passing aircraft flying overhead.

The organisation said other verified footage of the aftermath of the attack showed one distinctive bomb crater, the size of which it said was consistent with the impact of a 500-kilogram bomb.

Russian authorities have been contacted for comment.

'Shocking' attack should be investigated by ICC, Amnesty says

Amnesty International's crisis response director, Joanne Mariner, said the attack was "merciless" and needed to be investigated by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for possible war crimes.

Amnesty says those responsbile for such attacks need to be brought to justice.(Reuters: State Emergency Service of Ukraine)

"The air strike that hit the streets of Chernihiv shocks the conscience," Ms Mariner said.

"This was a merciless, indiscriminate attack on people as they went about their daily business in their homes, streets and shops.

"This shocking attack is one of the deadliest that the people of Ukraine have endured yet.

"The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court should investigate this air strike as a war crime. Those responsible for such crimes must be brought to justice, and victims and their families must receive full reparation."

Yulia Matvienko said she was at her home with her three children when the strike happened.

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She told Amnesty International she was walking in her corridor towards the kitchen when she was suddenly deafened.

"Everything started to suddenly crumble and fall," she said.

"The children screamed. For several seconds, it was like there was silence and time stood still.

"Then I dragged my children out from under the rubble. Blood was flowing down me, and I dragged my children out.

"Everything was destroyed, and the door [to their building] was knocked off. Not a single window was left, and some balconies were totally torn off.

"There is not a scratch on the children. It's a miracle … [there was] only my blood on them."

Alina, a 21-year-old student, was also at home in a nearby street when the bombs hit.

"I heard a very, very loud buzzing, and I felt our building shaking. It was as if our flat was inflating … and then after two seconds, I heard the windows get blown out into the courtyard," she told Amnesty.

"Our building shook a lot. I thought there would be no walls left.

"When I heard the buzz, I called my grandma into the corridor with me. We laid on the ground and that's likely what saved us."

Attacks on civilian areas rise

Russia has denied it is targeting civilians, but there is mounting evidence its forces are shelling heavily populated areas, including medical facilities and schools.

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A children's hospital in Mariupol was destroyed by Russian shelling.

Residential buildings in the capital Kyiv have been hit by suspected Russian missiles, while heavy shelling on the outskirts of Kyiv, in the east of the country and in Mariupol in the south has forced some residents to flee.

The World Health Organization said there had been 18 attacks on medical facilities since the Russian invasion began two weeks ago, leading to the deaths of 10 people.

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Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of launching an air strike on a maternity hospital in Mariupol which killed three people on Thursday.

A Kremlin spokesperson has reportedly blamed Ukraine for the failure of a planned evacuation from Mariupol, reiterating that Russian forces "do not fire on civilian targets".

Bombs struck two hospitals in Zhytomyr, a town west of Kyiv, one of them a children's hospital, according to the Mayor. There were no injuries.

Russian forces have also hit schools, in one instance using a cluster bomb to strike a preschool where civilians were hiding, according to Amnesty.

Three people, including a child, were killed in the attack on the town of Okhtyrka, in north-east Ukraine.

"All states should cooperate with the ICC and the new Commission of Inquiry established by the UN Human Rights Council to help ensure accountability for grave violations and crimes such as this attack," Ms Mariner said, speaking of the attack in Chernihiv.

"Victims of this conflict must have justice."