According to two international aid organizations, Russian forces used cluster munitions - a highly controversial weapon that many countries have banned - against at least two civilian targets during their invasion of Ukraine.
Seven people died and 11 were injured in bombings attributed to Russia, which is known to have used cluster munitions in Syria during the war, possibly two years ago.
"Russian forces should end the use of cluster munitions and unlawful attacks using weapons that indiscriminately kill and maim," said Steve Goose, arms director at Human Rights Watch, in a statement.
When fired, cluster munitions explode in mid-air, raining down dozens or even hundreds of smaller submunitions or "bombets" over a large area the size of one or more football fields.
The ICC announces that it will launch an investigation into alleged war crimes in Ukraine
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The ICC announces that it will launch an investigation into alleged war crimes in Ukraine
The munitions are notoriously difficult to control and indiscriminately hitting nearby targets, which is why international human rights groups say they should not be used near civilian populations, if at all.
A large proportion of the submunitions also fail to detonate on impact - up to 40% by some estimates - leaving a trail of unexploded bombs that pose a secondary risk to those in the vicinity.
In 2008, more than 100 countries agreed on a global treaty banning the use of cluster munitions, but neither Russia nor Ukraine signed it.
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Cluster munitions hit hospital and kindergarten in Ukraine
A Russian ballistic missile carrying cluster munitions struck Thursday in front of a hospital in the town of Vuhledar, in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region, according to Human Rights Watch.
The group interviewed a doctor and a hospital official and reviewed photos of the aftermath of the attack, which reportedly took place around 10:30 a.m. local time.
Four civilians died and ten others were injured, six of them health workers. The hospital, an ambulance and other vehicles nearby were damaged.
“I was on the first floor of our two story building. I heard a loud explosion outside. We ran down the hall. Fortunately, we didn't have many patients," said Natalia Sosyura, the hospital's chief physician, according to Human Rights Watch. "We all fell to the ground."
Photos: Ukrainians seek refuge as security forces defend against a Russian invasion
Photos: Ukrainians seek refuge as security forces defend against a Russian invasion
In another attack on Friday, cluster munitions fell on a kindergarten in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Okhtyrka, Sumy Oblast, Amnesty International reported. Three people, including a child, died. Another child was injured.
