February 2022 Kharkiv cluster bombing

On February 28, 2022, a series of rocket strikes by the Russian Armed Forces killed 9 civilians and wounded 37 more^[1] during the battle of Kharkiv, part of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Russian Army used cluster munition in the attack. Due to the indiscriminate nature of these weapons used in densely populated areas, Human Rights Watch described these strikes as a possible war crime.^[2]

February 2022 Kharkiv cluster bombing
Part of the Bombing of Kharkiv in the battle of Kharkiv during the Russian invasion of Ukraine
A damaged building in Kharkiv after the attack
Location	Kharkiv, Ukraine
Date	28 February 2022 10:00 AM to 2:23 PM
Target	Ukrainian civilians
Attack type	cluster munition bombing
Deaths	9[1]
Injured	37[1]
Perpetrators	Russian Armed Forces
Motive	Unknown

Attack

On February 28, 2022, during the battle of Kharkiv, around 10:00 a.m., the Russian Army fired Grad rockets into three different residential areas in Kharkiv.^[2][3] Nine civilians died. Four people were killed when they left a shelter to get water and go shopping between curfews; a family of two parents and three children were burned alive in their car.^[4] The locations hit were residential buildings and a playground,^[5] dispersed between Industrialnyi and Shevchenkivskyi District. Explosions in the city were recorded as late as 2:23 p.m.^[2]

Investigations

Human Rights Watch

Human Rights Watch investigated the attack and concluded that the Russian forces used Smerch cluster munition rockets, which disperse dozens of submunitions or bomblets in the air.^[5] An international treaty bans cluster munitions because of their widespread damage and danger towards civilians. As there were no military targets within 400 meters of these strikes, and due to the indiscriminate nature of these weapons used in densely populated areas, Human Rights Watch assumes that it could be a possible Russian war crime.^[2]

Amnesty International

Amnesty International found evidence of Russian forces repeatedly using 9N210/9N235 cluster munitions as well as scatterable mines, both of which are subject to international treaty bans - Convention on Cluster Munitions and Ottawa Treaty - because of their indiscriminate effects.^[6][7]

See also

• Russian war crimes
• March 2022 Kharkiv cluster bombing
• April 2022 Kharkiv cluster bombing

References

1. "Civilian casualty report" (PDF). Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. March 1, 2022. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 2, 2022. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
2. "Ukraine: Cluster Munitions Launched Into Kharkiv Neighborhoods". Human Rights Watch. March 4, 2022. Archived from the original on March 13, 2022. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
3. "Several killed as Russian rockets pound Ukraine's Kharkiv". Al Jazeera. February 28, 2022. Archived from the original on February 28, 2022. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
4. Luke Harding (March 1, 2022). "'Horrendous' rocket attack kills civilians in Kharkiv as Moscow 'adapts its tactics'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on March 28, 2022. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
5. David L. Stern, Miriam Berger, Sarah Cahlan, Isabelle Khurshudyan, Joyce Sohyun Lee (February 28, 2022). "Dozens wounded in shelling of Kharkiv as Russia strikes buildings with suspected cluster munitions". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on February 28, 2022. Retrieved March 29, 2022.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
6. Amnesty International UKRAINE: HUNDREDS KILLED IN RELENTLESS RUSSIAN SHELLING OF KHARKIV Archived 2022-09-17 at the Wayback Machine, June 13, 2022
7. "Ukraine war: Evidence shows widespread use of cluster munitions in Kharkiv". BBC News. 13 June 2022. Archived from the original on 13 June 2022. Retrieved 13 June 2022.