Ukrainian authorities accused Russian forces of firing phosphorus shells at the small town of Marinka in eastern Ukraine on Wednesday.
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“The Russians used phosphorus shells again today in Marinka” (ten thousand inhabitants before the start of the Russian invasion on February 24), the head of the military administration of the Donetsk region, Pavel Kyrylenko
“A dozen fires (caused by these shells, editor’s note) were located and were brought under control by the personnel of the National Service for Emergency Situations”, he continued.
Phosphorus weapons are incendiary weapons whose use is prohibited against civilians, but not against military targets, under a Convention signed in 1980 in Geneva.
Russia denied on March 25 any violation of international law after being repeatedly accused by Ukraine of having used such ammunition in the context of its offensive.
“The cities of Georgievka, Novokalinovo and Otcheretino were also bombarded,” added Mr. Kyrylenko, without providing details on the munitions used. No civilian victims are to be deplored, but several houses have been damaged,” he concluded.
A Russian airstrike was also carried out on the village of Slobojanske, in the northeast, causing the death of a woman and her 11-year-old son, announced the press service of the Kharkiv regional prosecutor’s office.
And missiles were fired at a factory in Novomoskovsk and an oil depot in Dnipro, in the east, said the head of the region’s military administration, Valentyn Reznichenko, according to which there was no of victims.