All news

Ukrainian forces hit LPR town with cluster munitions, military expert says

Andrey Marochko noted that, breaching all norms of international humanitarian law, Ukrainian troops are deliberately using the banned munitions to target civilian facilities near the frontline in the LPR

LUGANSK, July 8. /TASS/. The Ukrainian armed forces have launched a strike on Starobelsk in the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR) using banned cluster munitions, military expert Andrey Marochko told TASS.

Earlier, LPR head Leonid Pasechnik said that on the morning of July 8, Ukraine delivered massive strikes on central parts of three cities in the republic — Starobelsk, Belovodsk and Svatovo. Civilian infrastructure suffered damage. Later, LPR Health Minister Natalia Pashchenko said that three civilians sustained wounds in a drone attack, with one of the injured, an elderly man, being in critical condition.

"The footage that has already appeared in open sources clearly indicates the use of banned cluster munitions by Ukrainian armed formations. I would like to point out that these munitions are prohibited under all conventions. The shrapnel-type munitions used by Kiev to strike Starobelsk must not be used, especially against civilians and civilian infrastructure," Marochko said.

He noted that, breaching all norms of international humanitarian law, Ukrainian troops are deliberately using the banned munitions to target civilian facilities near the frontline in the LPR.