Ukraine war: Russian double-tap strikes hit civilians then rescuers too
Ukraine war: Russian double-tap strikes hit civilians then rescuers too
Russia is following up initial attacks with repeat strikes targeting rescuers treating the wounded.
On the night of 3 April, a swarm of Russian drones attacked Kharkiv, in Ukraine's northeast.
The country's second-largest city has been targeted almost incessantly since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion.
But this time was worse than usual, because, when rescue workers arrived at the scene, there was a second strike. Three of them were killed.
The following Friday, it happened again when Russian missiles hit Zaporizhzhia, a major city in Ukraine's southeast.
Rescuers and journalists rushed to the scene, and then two more missiles hit.
In total, four people were killed and more than 20 were wounded, including two local journalists.
An old technique we still haven't managed to wipe out, unfortunately, despite it being, by a strict reading of international law, illegal.
does the attacking country ever care about the lagality of an attack?
Yeah, they do. Some more than others.
The idea that all war happens outside of international law and is always breaking the Geneva conventions is false.
It's something war criminals and their appeasers pretend, to excuse their own actions. Kind of like those rapists who say all of us would rape people if we could get away with it. No, no we wouldn't.
At least, some of those in the attacker's army care about the legality from time to time, for fear of finding themselves on the wrong end of a war crime tribunal at some point.