A United Nations-backed investigation has accused the Russian government of committing war crimes in eastern Ukraine by targeting civilians.
The UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Conflict in Ukraine (FFM) said in a report released on Wednesday that forces loyal to the Kremlin had deliberately targeted civilians in an effort to spread fear and terror among the population.
The FFM said it had identified more than 40 incidents which constituted war crimes, including indiscriminate shelling of residential areas, targeted attacks on civilian infrastructure, and the use of banned weapons such as cluster munitions.
The report also accuses Ukrainian forces of war crimes, including arbitrary detention and torture of prisoners.
The FFM called on the international community to take action to end the conflict, which has been ongoing since 2014, and bring those responsible for war crimes to justice.
