Amnesty says sorry for distress caused by report on Ukraine

Amnesty International apologised for the distress and anger caused by its report accusing Ukraine of endangering civilians.

The report infuriated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and triggered the resignation of Amnesty's Kyiv office head.

The report last week said the presence of Ukrainian troops in residential areas increased the risks to civilians during Russia's invasion.

Amnesty International deeply regrets the distress and anger that our press release on Ukrainian military tactics has caused, the group said on Sunday.

Amnesty International's priority in this and any conflict is to make sure civilians are protected.

Ms Zelenskyy accused the group of trying to shift responsibility away from Russia, and Amnesty's Ukraine head, Oksana Pokalchuk, quit, saying the report was a propaganda gift for Moscow.

She said Amnesty unwittingly created material that sounded like support for Russian narratives of the invasion In an effort to protect civilians, this study became a tool of Russian propaganda.

It pains me to admit it, but we disagreed with Amnesty International's leadership on values. I left the organisation because of that. Amnesty secretary-general Agnes Callamard, who was asked about Ms Pokalchuk's resignation, said she had been a valued member of Amnesty staff.

She said that she has been the head of the Amnesty International Ukraine office for seven years with many significant human rights successes.

We are sorry to hear that she is leaving the organisation, but we respect her decision and wish her well. Ukrainian officials tried to evacuate civilians from frontline areas.

Russia, which denies targeting civilians, has not commented on the rights report.

In its email, Amnesty said Ukrainian forces were next to civilian residences in 19 towns and villages it visited, exposing them to the risk of 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.