Amnesty International accuses Russia of war crimes in Ukraine

Human rights group, Amnesty International is accusing Russia of war criminality in the city of Kharkiv

Amnesty says cluster bombs have killed hundreds of civilians in the northeast of Ukraine.

In a newly-released report, the group says “the repeated bombardments of residential neighbourhoods are indiscriminate attacks”.

Cluster bombs release dozens of grenades into mid-air.

It comes as Russia continues to move in with full force in the east, where they are reportedly using artillery bombardment to gain ground.

“In addition, cluster munitions have a high dud rate, with a high percentage failing to explode on impact and thus effectively becoming land mines, which pose a threat to civilians long after deployment,” Amnesty says.

The United Nations Convention on Cluster Munitions bans the use of such weapons. But like the U.S., Russia is not party to the treaty, which came into effect in 2010.

Donatella Rovera is Amnesty International’s Senior Crisis Response Adviser, who says civilians have faced a “relentless barrage” of attacks.

Researchers say they found evidence of seven strikes in different areas of Kharkiv.

Worsening food crisis

Ukraine is establishing two routes through Poland and Romania to export grains in a bid to avert a global food crisis.

“Those routes are not perfect because it creates certain bottlenecks, but we are doing our best to develop those routes in the meantime,” says Ukraine’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Dmytro Senik.

The war-torn nation is the world’s fourth-largest grain exporter. It is understood there are 30 million tonnes of grain stored in Ukrainian-held territory and awaiting exportation.

Senik says Ukraine is in talks with Baltic states to add a third corridor for exports.