Amnesty report: Russian Federation ‘targets civilians in Syria, killing at least 200’

Kristyan Benedict, Amnesty International UK’s Syria campaign manager, said: “For years Moscow has shielded the Assad government and blocked efforts to try to reduce the suffering of the Syrian people, now Russia’s air forces are themselves killing Syrian civilians by the hundred”.

Also, the organization said it was “shameful” that Russian Federation “does not want to acknowledge civilian casualties”. “But they could not know it, nor could they verify it. What is known is that Jihadists operate in Syria as highly-mobile forces which used the infamous Toyota pickup trucks with mounted large-caliber weapons”, Konashenkov said. “Such attacks may constitute war crimes”.

Russian Federation claims a prime target of the blasts was an ISIS training camp, used mainly by foreign recruits from Turkey and other post-Soviet states.

Cluster munitions are by nature indiscriminate and often leave unexploded bomblets on the ground which can maim and kill civilians long after the end of hostilities. In addition it accuses Russian Federation of particular use “of cluster bombs” and “unguided bombs”.

The Russian defense ministry dismissed the report for its failure to provide any concrete evidence or new factual information whatsoever, besides groundless assumptions and accusations.

Speakinng to the Independent upon the release of its report, Amnesty said it had repeatedly put its evidence to Moscow officials beforehand but received no “substantive” response.

Russia’s Defense Ministry strongly rejected the allegations, saying the report was full of “cliches and lies”.

Mr Konashenkov said, however, that the building of the clinic was “completely intact”.

“Of course nobody would say that it is not hard in Syria’s circumstances to carry out such an [impartial] investigation, particularly since these areas, the targets of Russia’s attacks are of course under the control of rebel and in many cases extremist Islamist groups, which of course very much restricts what local members of the public are allowed to say”, Shoebridge explained.

Russia’s entry into the conflict has further muddled the military landscape in the Syrian War, where front lines are always shifting and the list of participants keeps growing.

Suspected Russian air strikes have also struck hospitals. He did not give his full name, fearing for his own safety.

On Monday, when asked if Russian Federation was using cluster bombs in Syria, Peskov said it was “conducting its operation in strict conformity with principles and norms of the global law”.

With an operating base at Hmeymim near Latakia in western Syria, Russia is able to launch as many as 80 sorties per day.

The group said at least 200 civilians were killed in the strikes between September and November. After some attacks, they have responded to reports of civilian deaths, by denying they killed civilians; after others, they have simply stayed silent.

Russia’s bombing of Syria may quantity to a war crime as a result of of the quantity of civilians its strikes have killed, Amnesty International stated on Wednesday, presenting what it stated was proof that the air raids had violated humanitarian regulation.