UN Human Rights Office Calls for Compliance with International Humanitarian Law After Belgorod Strike

GENEVA, September 2. /TASS/. In response to a request from TASS for a legal assessment of Ukraine's August 30 strike on Belgorod which killed three civilians, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) issued a statement citing the need to comply with the norms of international humanitarian law and take measures to minimize harm to the civilian population.

"International humanitarian law requires all parties to the conflict to distinguish at all times between civilians and combatants and between civilian objects and military objectives," a department spokesperson told TASS.

The spokesperson confirmed that the OHCHR is aware of the strike and its casualties. The spokesperson said that it is "actively collecting as much information as possible about this incident" as usual, avoiding giving it a legal assessment because of a lack of access to Russia.

The OHCHR added that, in accordance with the norms of international humanitarian law, "attacks may only be directed against military objectives," The parties to the conflict must "respect the prohibitions against indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks and take all feasible precautions" to prevent and minimize collateral damage to the civilian population.