Ukraine train system attacks by Russia may be war crimes, say experts

Russia’s attack on a Ukrainian train station that killed more than 20 people this week is the latest in a series of strikes on the country’s railway system that some international legal scholars say may be war crimes.

While Russia claimed that it had targeted the train because it was carrying Ukrainian troops and equipment on Wednesday, an Associated Press reporter on the ground said there was no visible indication that Ukrainian troops were among the dead, who included children. If civilians were the target, experts said Thursday, the attack could be considered a war crime.

A train station is generally a civilian object and should not be a target of attack, said Jennifer Trahan, a clinical professor at New York University’s Centre for Global Affairs.