KIEV, October 21 (RIA Novosti) - Human Rights Watch (HRW) findings on the use of cluster munitions in populated areas of Donetsk by Ukrainian military are unsubstantiated, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Yevhen Perebiynis said Tuesday.
"Conclusions made by the organization are not supported with any specific evidence. They are based on the testimony of few local citizens, while the official Ukrainian government point of view is missing," Perebiynis said during a press briefing.
"Unfortunately, we have to admit that in the case of the information, distributed by the Human Rights Watch, we can speak about the staging and the use of such respectful organization by illegal armed forces in order to achieve their propagandist goals," he added.
Perebiynis also stressed that the Ukrainian army has never used cluster munitions.
On Monday, in an official release, Human Rights Watch said that Ukrainian forces used cluster munitions in populated areas of Donetsk in October. HRW also stated that the use of cluster bombs may amount to war crimes.
Cluster munitions contain dozens or hundreds of submunitions. After the launch of such a rocket or a bomb a container opens up and disperses submunitions, making them spread over a wide area endangering anyone in the vicinity. So far, 114 countries have joined a treaty, banning cluster munitions.
In mid-April, Kiev launched a military operation against independence supporters in eastern Ukraine. Some 3,700 people have been killed and over 9,000 have sustained injuries since the beginning of the armed conflict, according to the latest UN estimates. On September 5, all sides agreed to a ceasefire at a meeting of the trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine in Minsk.
