Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register KYIV, Aug 7 (Reuters) – Amnesty International apologized on Sunday for the “distress and anger” caused by a report accusing Ukraine of putting civilians at risk, which angered President Volodymyr Zelensky and prompted the resignation of its chief of its office in Kyiv. The rights group released the report on Thursday saying the presence of Ukrainian troops in populated areas increased the risks to civilians during Russia’s invasion. read more “Amnesty International deeply regrets the distress and outrage that our press release about the war tactics of the Ukrainian military has caused,” it said in an email to Reuters. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register “Amnesty International’s priority in this and any conflict is to ensure the protection of civilians. Indeed, this was our sole aim in publishing this latest piece of research. While we stand by our findings fully, we regret the pain caused caused.” Zelensky accused the group of trying to shift blame from Russian aggression, while Amnesty Ukraine chief Oksana Pokalchuk resigned, saying the report was a propaganda gift for Moscow. read more Ukrainian officials say they are trying to evacuate civilians from frontline areas. Russia, which denies targeting civilians, has not commented on the rights report. In its email on Sunday, Amnesty said it found Ukrainian forces next to civilian homes in 19 towns and villages it visited, exposing them to incoming Russian fire. “This does not mean that Amnesty International holds Ukrainian forces responsible for violations committed by Russian forces, nor that the Ukrainian military is not taking adequate precautions elsewhere in the country,” it said. “We must be very clear: Nothing we have documented that Ukrainian forces are doing in any way justifies Russian violations.” Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Report by Pavel Polityuk. Edited by Andrew Cawthorne Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
