In the early hours of 28 April 2023, russia attacked an apartment building in Uman, a Ukrainian city hundreds of kilometres away from the battlefield. The attack killed 23 civilians. Among the dead were six children.
russia used a Kh-101 cruise missile in the attack, according to Ukrainian officials, targeting it specifically at a civilian apartment building. These missiles have been found to contain Western-made components, according to the Royal United Services Institute.
In its joint report “Enabling War Crimes? Western-Made Components in Russia’s War Against Ukraine”, IPHR and NAKO urged Western businesses and governments to review their existing sanctions/export control measures and enhance their due diligence, ‘know your customer’, and end-user surveillance. Stakeholders should recognise and acknowledge that their products are being used to commit atrocities, and take immediate action to avoid human suffering.
Lack of evidence or understanding is no longer a justification for inaction.