Witness: The village of Baklanova Muraviyka was destroyed by Russian cluster munitions (Video)

01.03.2023

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The village of Baklanova Muraviyka in the Kulikivsky district of Chernihiv region, Ukraine, which was home to only 650 people before the war, like many settlements in this region, experienced devastating bombardments by Russian military aviation. This village, in addition to standard bomb and missile strikes, was hit by cluster munitions.

«There were no Ukrainian military positions here. They were located five kilometers away in Lukashivka. They placed them there», — says one resident of the village.

Another adds, «We were their target (Russian soldiers). Ours at them, and they at us. That’s what they recently showed about us on the news on TV».

«Were you a target for Russian soldiers?», — asks the journalist.

«Yes, I didn’t leave; I didn’t evacuate. I saw it all. I felt it all», — the woman in the red jacket adds.

«On that Sunday, I fled on bicycles across the field…», — another woman chimes in.

«You didn’t flee; you were here in the trench for two Sundays. You spent the night and lived there», — the first woman continues.

«And did they (Russian soldiers) first bomb your farm? And why?», — asks the journalist, who had already spoken to other residents of Baklanova Muraviyka.

«Yes, they dropped bombs, – one woman says. – Because at first, the military from Honcharivske came to us. They had 100 tons of ammunition. They came into such a nice shed – a large hangar. And they were in that shed. But when they realized they had been detected, they left the village. Otherwise, our whole street would have been blown up», — a resident of Baklanova Muraviyka explains.

«So, the Ukrainian soldiers left your village, and Russian planes began bombing you?», — the journalist asks.

«No, they fired ‘Grads’ from somewhere else», — the woman replies, pointing in another direction.

«They would shell us with planes like this: dropping one bomb, then it would explode the bridge. Then, it flies, drops one in Anisove, and carries another one to us. I would run to the cellar, and light fixtures would fall on my head. It was terrifying! After that, the shell flies, and the Russian plane turns and drops it on the farm. I live 500 meters from the farm, and all my windows were shattered. I collected a whole bucket of fragments in my garden. And then, from there, came both ‘Grads’ and something else», —explains the woman who couldn’t immediately recall the name of the ammunition Russian soldiers used on them.

«When we were sitting in the cellar, those cluster munitions were flying. We thought that when we come out of the cellar, the village would be gone», — adds another woman.

«I had at least five of them fall near me. It broke my windows; I changed 14 bags. It broke two metal doors and left the tiles on the veranda full of holes», — says the woman.

«Why were they targeting the homes of peaceful residents?», — the journalist asks.

«Because the soldiers were standing not far in the forest. Drones fly, and they estimate the target roughly», — another woman adds.

«They were standing on the edge of the village, about 500 meters away. Our soldiers only fired once», — her neighbor chimes in.

«When they (Russian soldiers) were shelling Lukashivka, which is about 3.5 kilometers straight from me, my house would shake, things would fall… It was dreadful. My daughter and I lived in the cellar for two Sundays, day and night. We had a stove, and we heated ourselves. Then our soldiers came», — says a village resident.

«They were shelling every day. When my husband and I were fleeing, it was impossible to drive through here», — another woman adds.

In the summer of 2022, the American newspaper The New York Times conducted its investigation into how many prohibited by international conventions unguided munitions «fraternal people» – Russians – sent to target the heads of Ukrainians. At that time, they identified over 2,000 munitions, the majority of which were unguided.

Through their actions in Ukraine, the leadership of the Russian Federation violates international conventions that prohibit:

The use of poison or poisoned weapons.
Perfidious killing or injuring of persons belonging to the nation or army of the adversary.
Killing or wounding an adversary who has surrendered or no longer has means of defense and has freely surrendered.
The use of weapons, projectiles, or materials that may cause unnecessary suffering.
Attacking or bombing unprotected cities, towns, residential buildings, or structures by any means.
The use of certain types of weapons, and more.

These actions go against established international norms and agreements aimed at protecting civilians and reducing the suffering caused by armed conflicts.

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