Russia Says Ukraine Uses Scorched Earth Tactics

By Staff, Agencies

Ukrainian troops are trying to inflict maximum damage to civilian infrastructure as well as targeting civilians who reside in the areas where they are fighting Russian forces, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said.

The minister warned on Wednesday that Ukrainian military units "are using scorched earth tactics, grossly violate international norms, and act like terrorists."

"They use residential areas, schools, kindergartens as firing positions, deploy tanks and artillery guns there, using the population as a human shield," Shoigu said.

He went on to accuse Kiev of remotely mining frontline communities with anti-personnel mines, adding that it is evidence that Ukraine intends "to inflict maximum damage to civilians and civilian infrastructure."

Shoigu was speaking at a meeting of defense ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization [SCO], a regional security group that includes several post-Soviet states, as well as China, India, and Pakistan.

Earlier this month, Amnesty International released a report confirming that its inspectors witnessed Ukrainian troops using civilian sites such as schools and hospitals as military bases. Kiev condemned the document, claiming that the human rights organization was aiding Russia by corroborating these facts.

Amid the backlash, Amnesty’s German branch said it wanted independent experts to review the process that led to the publication.