By spreading information on the use of cluster bombs by Ukraine, Russia is trying to cover up its crime, a representative of the General Staff and acting head of the personnel department of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Oleksandr Rozmaznin, has said.
“After Aug. 24, Russia used the Smerch systems that fire such ammunition. In particular, the 12th territorial defense battalion of Kyiv was shelled from Russia. In order to cover up their crime, they say that Ukrainians use such ammunition,” he said at a press conference on Thursday, Dec. 4.
He said that Ukraine does have such Smerch systems.
“But I say quite openly that our artillery gunners did not get such ammunition from storage bases,” Rozmaznin said.
“The fact that Russia uses them [cluster munitions] is obvious,” he added.
As reported, Human Rights Watch blamed Ukraine for using cluster bombs to shell the territory where the civilian population lives in the area of the anti-terrorist operation in the east of the country.
Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council described such accusations as groundless.
“All statements regarding the use by Ukrainian servicemen of cluster bombs have no grounds,” NSDC spokesman Andriy Lysenko told Interfax-Ukraine, calling on international organizations to be objective in their assessments and statements and refer to specific evidence instead of making “groundless accusations.”
The Ukrainian defense and foreign ministries also denied reports about the alleged use of cluster bombs by the anti-terrorist operation forces.
