(BBC)Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has described an attack on a maternity and children’s hospital as a “war crimeâ€.
It may not seem like it, but “even war has rulesâ€, as the International Committee of the Red Cross puts it.
These are contained in treaties called the Geneva Conventions and a string of other international laws and agreements.
What is a war crime?
Civilians cannot be deliberately attacked – nor can the infrastructure that is vital to their survival.
Some weapons are banned because of the indiscriminate or appalling suffering they cause – such as anti-personnel landmines and chemical or biological weapons.
The sick and wounded must be cared for – including injured soldiers, who have rights as prisoners of war.
Other laws prohibit torture and genocide – the deliberate attempt to destroy a specific group of people.
Serious offences during war such as murder, rape or mass persecution of a group, are known as “crimes against humanityâ€.
What allegations of war crimes have there been in Ukraine?
Ukraine said the Russian air strike on maternity and children’s wards in Mariupol was a war crime. Three people including a child were killed and 17 staff and patients were injured.
There have also been reports that Russian troops have targeted fleeing Ukrainian civilians.
There’s mounting evidence that cluster bombs – munitions that separate into lots of bomblets – have hit civilian areas of Kharkiv.
Neither Russia nor Ukraine have signed up to a worldwide ban on their use, but these incidents could still be considered a war crime.
Many experts argue the invasion itself is a crime under the concept of aggressive warfare – more on that below.
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