Why it matters: Ukrainian forces blamed Russian forces for the destruction of the nursing home when the unprovoked attack occurred on March 11, according to the AP. However, the report suggests that Ukrainians may share an equal share of the blame. Details: Days before the attack, the management of the nursing home asked the local authorities to evacuate the residents. However, “[t]According to information, the Ukrainian armed forces had laid mines in the surrounding area and blocked roads.”
There were 71 patients and 15 staff, along with Ukrainian armed forces at the home when the Russians attacked. The UN said at least 22 patients survived the attack, but the death toll remains unknown. In the report, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights did not conclude that the Russians committed a war crime, but said that during the attack they used “human shields”, which are prohibited under the Geneva Convention.
What they say: “The ground rule is that civilians cannot be intentionally targeted. Period. For any reason,” David Crane, a former US Defense Department official, told the AP.
“The Ukrainians put these people in a situation that was a killing zone. And you can’t do that.”
