Russian Rocket Attack Kills Civilians And Children In Chaplyne Ukraine, UN Urges All Parties To Respect International Law

The aftermath of the Russian rocket attack on the Chaplyne train station on the anniversary of Ukrainian Independence August 24. (Twitter/@DmytroKuleba)

JAKARTA - The top UN official in Ukraine expressed shock at the military attack that killed civilians and children in Chaplyne last Wednesday, calling on all warring parties to respect international law.

The Russian Defense Ministry said they attacked a military train at the Chaplyne railway station. Kyiv named 25 civilians in the attack.

"I am utterly appalled by the attack that yesterday killed and injured civilians near the train station in Chaplyne, in central Ukraine," Denise Brown, the UN's humanitarian coordinator for Ukraine, said in a statement.

"Children died in these attacks and they died in places they hoped to be safe, in their homes or traveling with their families," he said.

Brown said the death toll from the attack was "just one more example of the level of suffering this war has caused the Ukrainian people."

He cited other attacks that also killed civilians, as well as intense shootings in frontline towns, including Nikopol and Zelenodolsk, which have damaged homes, schools, shops and pharmacies, underscoring the need to protect civilians.

"All actors, without exception, must respect their obligations under international humanitarian law and continuously safeguard civilians and civilian infrastructure so that they are protected, their homes maintained and essential services available," he concluded.