Amnesty International: Fatal strike in Ukrainian city may be war crime

Amnesty International is urging authorities to investigate a bombing in the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv, alleging the airstrike that regional authorities say was carried out by Russian forces could constitute a war crime.

Amnesty noted Wednesday that multiple bombs hit civilians and damaged buildings midday last Thursday. Forty-seven people, including nine women and 38 men, were killed following the incident, according to the Chernihiv Regional State Administration.

Local authorities said last week that the strike was carried out by Russian forces, Reuters reported.

Amnesty International, citing interviews and analysis of video footage, asserted that “dumb bombs,” or unguided aerial bombs, were used. The group said it believed that most of the people targeted in the strike were people waiting in line for food.

“This was a merciless, indiscriminate attack on people as they went about their daily business in their homes, streets and shops,” Joanne Mariner, Amnesty International’s crisis response director, said in a statement.

“The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court should investigate this airstrike as a war crime. Those responsible for such crimes must be brought to justice, and victims and their families must receive full reparation,” Mariner added.

The incident has not yet been commented on by Russia, according to NBC News. The Hill has reached out to the Russian Embassy in Washington, D.C. for comment.

The development comes roughly two weeks after Russia launched its invasion into Ukraine, which has since been widely condemned internationally. 

Data from the U.N. refugee agency indicates over 2 million people have fled Ukraine throughout the invasion, sparking a humanitarian crisis.