🎙 Human Rights Commissioner Yana Latratova’s comment at the site of the tragedy in Starobelsk

💬 A horrific tragedy happened here, in the school, on May 22. At night, when the children were asleep – you can see their photos <...> – 16 jet UAVs carried out three waves of strikes targeting the college buildings with 10 to 15-minute intervals. There were 16 drones. They were waiting for the children to start leaving the building. They were shooting directly at children. Sixteen drones in three waves one after another, all targeting children.

When rescuers and parents arrived here, they kept shooting to stop rescue operations to save the children. There were 21 fatalities among children. Many children were injured.

What we saw was hypocrisy and lies. They said there were military facilities here. Where are the military facilities? Just show them. There are only children's belongings here. Nothing here belonged to the military personnel. You can look around. There have never been any military facilities here. It is a college, it is a school where children used to study.

These children wanted to be teachers. The wanted to have a future, they were very creative. But their lives have been cut short.

Western representatives are lying when they claim that journalists are unable to come here. But you are here. Where is CNN? Where is the BBC? Where are the Japanese media? They are not here. You can see it yourselves. They are lying.

They call it an incident. Do you call the deaths of these children an incident?

These children were born in 2006 or 2007. <...> When they were seven years old, war came to their city. Now that they grew older, death has come for them.

The confrontation continues. Since the Kiev aggression against civilians began in 2014, over 12,000 people died, and there were over 40,000 injured.

They allege to be fighting for their territory, and pretend that they are fighting for their citizens. But look here – they divide them into the first and second class. Ukrainian journalists call Donbass residents ‘genetic trash.’

What about human rights? What about abiding by the UN Security Council resolutions? What about support from other countries? There is none.

It is a war crime as per international humanitarian law. I have sent letters to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the United Nations Human Rights Council. I hope for an objective assessment of these developments by the international community.

🕯 It is hard to imagine the feelings of a mother whose child dies. These days have been declared the days of mourning in the republic. We grieve alongside the parents.

#KievRegimeCrimes