Elizabeth Throssell, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, has announced a probe into a Russian airstrike last Thursday that resulted in at least 51 civilian deaths. Speaking from Geneva, Throssell decried the attack, emphasizing the necessity of strictly adhering to international humanitarian law.
The press release stated that, in response, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, is dispatching a field team to the location of the attack. The aim is to gather evidence from the site of the incident and to speak with survivors in Hroza, where the airstrike was centered.
In a public statement, as part of their response, President Zelenskyy of Ukraine stressed the importance of strengthening Ukraine’s air defense to better shield the public from further Russian attacks, akin to those witnessed in Kharkiv.
The incident in question saw what is thought to be a Russian missile striking a cafe and a grocery store in the village of Hroza in Kharkiv, causing at least 51 fatalities. The UN has deemed this attack as one of the deadliest to date. Despite these allegations, Moscow maintains that it has not deliberately targeted non-combatants.
Just one day later, a Russian missile hit an apartment block in Kharkiv, resulting in a minimum of 20 casualties, one of which was a child aged ten.
International humanitarian law, as defined by a series of globally recognized frameworks such as the 1907 Hague Regulations and the Geneva Convention, contains rules designed to protect civilians and to set boundaries on methods of warfare. The use of violence or torture against non-combatants or those not actively engaged in hostilities is expressly prohibited. Part III of the Geneva Convention furthermore outlines the status and entitlements of protected persons under international law.
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