UN accuses Russia of war crimes in Syria for the first time

A United Nations investigation has for the first time accused Russia of war crimes and indiscriminately bombing civilian areas in Syria.

The accusations, which Russia denies, were made by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria and centre around two events between May 2019 and January 2020. 

Using eyewitness testimonies, information provided by flight spotters, flight communication intercepts, and video footage, the commission accused Russian jets of bombing civilian areas in its latest report on rights violations inside Syria. 

The first incident took place in the area of Maarat al-Numan in southern Idlib province, where a market area was attacked in July 2019.

This attack involved a series of air strikes, including "double-tap" strikes from Russian warplanes, according to data provided to the commission. At least 43 civilians were killed, including three girls and one boy, and 109 others were wounded in the bombardment. 

The "double-tap" strikes hit rescue workers rushing to the scene in Maarat al-Numan, amounting to accusations of war crimes. 

The second incident took place in August 2019 and targeted a compound where displaced civilians lived in the southern Idlib countryside.

Eyewitnesses told investigators the air strike destroyed a food storage room and the windows of a health centre were "completely shattered".

Ten civilians were killed in the attack. One interviewee said victims suffered severe burns from the air strike, with some succumbing to their wounds while en route to the hospital. 

"Based on the evidence available, including witness testimonies, video footage, data imagery as well as reports by flight spotters, flight communication intercepts and early warning observation reports, the commission has reasonable grounds to believe that a Russian aircraft participated in each incident described above," the report said. 

"Each of the incidents the Russian Air Force did not direct the attacks at a specific military objective, amounting to the war crime of launching indiscriminate attacks in civilian areas."

The Russian Ministry of Defence denied their aircraft was present when the attacks took place. The Moscow government has since followed suit.

"We do not agree with such accusations," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, raising questions about the objectivity of the report.

"It is obvious that no commission could have received reliable information on what is happening on the ground," he said. "Nothing is said about the attacks by terrorist groups, which makes any judgement issued by this commission one-sided."

During the course of the Syrian civil war, the UN has been hesitant to specify countries accused of perpetrating war crimes, as it relies on Russia and Syria to access affected areas for aid distribution. 

Nearly one million Syrians have fled their homes in the last few months, as government forces ramp up a campaign to take the country's last major rebel stronghold in northwest Syria.