An attack on a prison in the south-eastern Zaporizhzhia region of Ukraine on Monday reportedly left 16 prisoners dead and almost 100 injured, violating international law, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) has said.

Meanwhile, another attack on Tuesday reportedly killed five civilians and injured three in the Kharkiv region, located in eastern Ukraine.

According to authorities, Russian armed forces dropped several powerful glide bombs on Bilenkivska Penal Colony No. 99 on 28 July. The prison is located about 25 kilometres from the frontline in the Zaporizhzhia region.

All those killed were prisoners, according to HRMMU. The mission plans to visit the site as soon as possible to gather additional information.

Russia has denied responsibility for the attack.

Violation of international law

“Prisoners are civilians, and they must be protected under international humanitarian law,” said Danielle Bell, head of HRMMU.

International humanitarian law stipulates that attacks must only be directed at military objectives, not at civilians or civilian objects. Since a prison is a civilian object, it should not be attacked unless it is being used for military purposes.

Deadly civilian attacks

Also on Monday, Russian forces reportedly struck near a hospital in Kamianske in the Dnipropetrovsk region. The attack damaged the hospital and its maternity ward, killing three and injuring 22, according to authorities.

At least two of the dead were reportedly patients, including a woman who was seven months pregnant.