HRW verifies incidents of Russian soldiers firing on civilian vehicles

A human rights research organisation has verified three incidents where Russian forces fired on civilian vehicles, killing six people and wounding three.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) said that in one case, troops pulled a man from a van and summarily executed him.

The incidents took place some weeks ago but add to the growing evidence of atrocities carried out during the conflict. HRW said Russia should conduct “impartial, thorough, and transparent investigations into these killings” and should compensate victims of any unlawful attacks.

The organisation said on February 28, Russian forces opened fire on two vehicles carrying nine civilians who were trying to flee the area. On March 3, they shot at a vehicle with four men who were going to negotiate delivery of humanitarian aid.

The third incident took place in the village of Nova Basan, in Chernihiv region, about 43 miles east of central Kyiv, when Russian forces shot at a civilian van carrying two men, injuring one of them. Soldiers pulled the second man from the van and summarily executed him, while the injured man escaped.

“Russian soldiers at checkpoints opened fire on passing vehicles without any apparent effort to verify whether the occupants were civilians,” said Belkis Wille, senior crisis and conflict researcher at HRW.

“The obligation to distinguish between civilians and combatants is a constant, as is the prohibition on targeting civilians, whether in their homes, on the streets or in their cars.”

Mr Wille added: “The Russian military has an obligation to investigate these incidents, hold those responsible to account and ensure these kinds of killings cease.”

HRW interviewed nine witnesses who were each present during one of the three incidents, including two who were wounded in these attacks. Researchers visited the sites of the three incidents and examined the four cars that were fired upon. Witnesses say there were no Ukrainian forces in the vicinity at the time.

Under international humanitarian law, or the laws of war, civilians may never be the deliberate target of attacks.