United Nations, Jan 16 – The UN on Monday condemned the Russian attack against a residential building in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro and asked that it be investigated as a possible war crime and seek to prosecute those responsible.
The organization highlighted that it is one of the deadliest attacks since Russia invaded the neighboring country last February, with at least 40 fatalities, 46 missing and 75 injured.
Spokeswoman Stephanie Tremblay said that the secretary general, António Guterres, condemns the attack as “another example of an alleged violation of the rules of war” and that the humanitarian coordinator in Ukraine, Denise Brown, calls for an “effective investigation” before the suspicion of war crimes and an “appropriate” prosecution of the suspects.
According to the organization, in addition to the numerous casualties, which are expected to continue to increase as rescue work continues, the attack has left more than a thousand people homeless.
The UN and several of its agencies are providing help to the affected families, with psychosocial assistance, clothing, blankets, hygiene kits, medicines and other basic products, as well as supporting their transfer to temporary homes in the city.
The United Nations also condemned an attack in the city of Kherson that hit the facilities of the Ukrainian Red Cross Society on Sunday, an episode that left no casualties but caused the loss of important equipment.
“International humanitarian law is clear: humanitarian workers and facilities are protected and constant efforts must be made to save them,” Tremblay said.
In addition, the UN drew attention to the damage suffered in another attack on a hospital in the city and to the fact that several houses, three schools and two kindergartens were damaged yesterday in the Dnipro region.
In eastern Ukraine, the situation remains “critical,” the spokeswoman said, with numerous civilians killed and wounded on both sides of the front lines, including areas under Russian control.