Krivoi Rog attack: Nine children dead, UN investigates war crime
The Russian army's missile strike on the city of Krivoi Rog on April 4th is the deadliest attack resulting in the deaths of children since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, in a statement issued on Sunday, April 6th.
According to him, a team from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) visited the site on April 5th, documenting the destruction and confirming the identities of the nine children who died in the attack, as reported by DW.
UN experts are continuing to collect information. "OHCHR documented damage caused by hundreds of shrapnel fragments to buildings, children’s playgrounds, swings, and slides, as well as trees and soil," the statement says.
“This is the deadliest single attack against children confirmed by OHCHR since the beginning of the large-scale invasion in February 2022,” the statement adds.
“It’s an unfathomable nightmare – nine children were killed, most of them while playing in the park, with military explosives detonating above them,” said Türk. “The explosion claimed the lives of 18 people on a warm Friday evening in Krivoi Rog, when families had gathered near a playground, a restaurant, and residential buildings.”
OHCHR: Possible war crime
“The use of wide-area explosive weapons by the Russian Federation in a densely populated area, without an apparent military presence, shows a reckless disregard for civilian lives,” added Türk.
The OHCHR statement mentions that Russian authorities claimed the attack targeted a group of Ukrainian soldiers. However, local residents reported to the UN committee that, shortly before the attack, a cosmetics forum had been held in the restaurant, and no soldiers were present.
"Even if Russian authorities had information about a possible military presence, the method and circumstances of the attack could represent an indiscriminate attack," stresses OHCHR. The institution reminds that such attacks are prohibited by international humanitarian law and may constitute war crimes.
On April 4th, the Russian army launched a missile strike on Krivoi Rog, the hometown of President Volodymyr Zelensky. At least 19 people died, including nine children, and over 70 were injured. The previous day, four people were killed and over ten were injured in another missile strike on the same city.
On Sunday, April 6th, a national day of mourning was declared throughout Ukraine. In Krivoi Rog, the days of mourning for the victims were set for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday – April 7th, 8th, and 9th.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
