1995 Shali cluster bomb attack

The 1995 Shali cluster bomb attack was an attack which occurred on 3 January 1995, when Russian fighter jets bombed the Chechen town of Shali with cluster bombs.

1995 Shali cluster bomb attack
LocationShali, Chechnya
Date3 January 1995
TargetMarket, hospital, cemetery, school, collective farm
Attack type
Cluster bombing
Deaths55–100+
InjuredAt least 168
PerpetratorsRussian Air Force

Events

Eighteen cluster bombs were reportedly dropped in and around Shali on that day in several runs. The bombs hit a roadside market first, followed by a gas station,[1] and a hospital, in which civilians, as well as Russian prisoners of war, were being treated.[2][3] The aircraft then went on to strafe a Muslim cemetery. A school and a collective farm were also targeted.[4]

At least 55 people were killed (including five medical workers) and 186 people were wounded. An estimate by the Russian presidential human rights office put the number of killed at over 100. No military targets were reported in the area at the time of the attack.[4]

Boris Yeltsin's office announced a halt to air raids on Grozny, but the statement did not rule out the use of heavy artillery, which caused damage to civilian targets. The military's tactics raised concerns over civilian casualties, causing protests in Russia and drawing criticism from Western governments.[5]

References
  1. Russia: Three Months of War in Chechnya, Human Rights Watch, February 1995
  2. Yeltsin Orders Bombing Halt On Rebel City, The New York Times, January 5, 1995
  3. 'These People Can Never Be Pacified': A Report From The Besieged City, Where Russian Bombs Haven't Dented Chechen Resolve, Newsweek, Jan 16, 1995
  4. Cluster Munitions Use by Russian Federation Forces in Chechnya, Mennonite Central Committee, 2000
  5. Rupert, James (1995-01-05). "CIVILIANS HIT DESPITE YELTSIN VOW". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2023-03-07.


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