Current:Home > InvestA UN report urges Russia to investigate an attack on a Ukrainian village that killed 59 civilians -Clarity Finance Guides
A UN report urges Russia to investigate an attack on a Ukrainian village that killed 59 civilians
View
Date:2025-04-15 07:24:12
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — U.N investigators on Tuesday urged Russia to acknowledge responsibility for a missile strike on a Ukrainian village that killed 59 civilians, conduct a transparent investigation into what happened, provide reparations for victims and hold those responsible to account.
The strike on a cafe in the village of Hroza on Oct. 5 was one of the deadliest strikes since the Kremlin’s forces launched a full-scale invasion 20 months ago. Whole families perished while attending a wake for a local soldier who died fighting Russian troops. The blast killed 36 women, 22 men and an 8-year-old boy. Numerous bodies were found torn to pieces, and it took nearly a week to identify all the dead.
The U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine said in a report published Tuesday it “has reasonable grounds to believe” that a Russian Iskander missile — a short-range precision-guided ballistic weapon — probably caused the blast in Hroza.
The extensive damage and weapon debris at the scene led investigators to that conclusion, the report said.
It said that Russia “either failed to undertake all feasible measures to verify that the intended target was a military objective rather than civilians or civilian objects, or deliberately targeted civilians or a civilian object.”
Either of those explanations amounts to a violation of international humanitarian law, the report said.
The incident “serves as a stark reminder of the human cost of the war in Ukraine and underscores the necessity of holding perpetrators accountable,” Danielle Bell, head of the U.N. mission in Ukraine, said in a statement.
The Kremlin did not directly address the strike in Hroza at the time, but continued to insist that it aims only at legitimate military targets in Ukraine.
Russia’s U.N. ambassador, however, told the U.N. Security Council, that “a high-ranking Ukrainian nationalist” and “a lot of neo-Nazi accomplices” were at the wake.
Neither Moscow nor Kyiv officials made any immediate comment on Tuesday’s report.
Repeated civilian deaths have weakened Russia’s claim that it doesn’t target civilians.
Ukraine’s presidential office said early Tuesday that one civilian was killed and at least 17 others were injured over the previous 24 hours.
The death was a woman visiting a cemetery and among the injured were five people traveling on a bus, it said.
___
Associated Press Writer Yuras Karmanau in Tallinn, Estonia, contributed to this report.
___
Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
veryGood! (241)
Related
- Why Sean "Diddy" Combs Is Being Given a Laptop in Jail Amid Witness Intimidation Fears
- Trial begins for man charged in killing of girl, 10, whose disappearance prompted monthslong search
- Special counsel obtained search warrant for Trump's Twitter account in 2020 election probe
- It's Book Lovers Day 2023! Celebrate the joy of reading with top products for bookworms
- Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people
- Norfolk Southern content with minimum safety too often, regulators say after fiery Ohio derailment
- Six takeaways from Disney's quarterly earnings call
- Arkansas secretary of state says he’ll run for treasurer next year
- Justice Department, Louisville reach deal after probe prompted by Breonna Taylor killing
- Maui wildfires leave wake of devastation in Hawaii. How you can donate or volunteer.
Ranking
- Who's hosting 'Saturday Night Live' tonight? Musical guest, how to watch Dec. 14 episode
- Sen. Dianne Feinstein recovering after hospital visit for minor fall at California home
- 2 still sought in connection with Alabama riverfront brawl that drew national attention
- Anti-corruption presidential candidate assassinated at campaign event in Ecuador’s capital
- Justice Department, Louisville reach deal after probe prompted by Breonna Taylor killing
- Otoniel, Colombian kingpin called the most dangerous drug trafficker in the world, gets 45 years in U.S. prison
- A year ago, an Iranian woman’s death sparked hijab protests. Now businesses are a new battleground
- A lawsuit accuses a Georgia doctor of decapitating a baby during delivery
Recommendation
Most popular books of the week: See what topped USA TODAY's bestselling books list
'Big Brother' cast member Luke Valentine removed from show after using racial slur
Maria Menounos Says She’s “Grateful to Be Alive” After Welcoming Baby Girl
Robbie Robertson, The Band's lead guitarist and primary songwriter, dies at 80
Why we love Bear Pond Books, a ski town bookstore with a French bulldog 'Staff Pup'
How did the Maui fire start? What we know about the cause of the Lahaina blaze
Robbie Robertson, lead guitarist and songwriter of The Band, dies at 80
Travis Scott to perform in Houston for first time since Astroworld tragedy, mayor's office announces