Civilian deaths in Ukraine, war crimes or collateral damage?
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(CNN) --
Human Rights Watch (HRW) claims to have documented a long list of alleged crimes against civilians in the Kyiv and Chernihiv regions of northern Ukraine.
An HRW team that visited the area in April and May said they had "investigated 22 apparent summary executions, nine other unlawful killings, six possible enforced disappearances and seven cases of torture," according to a report released Wednesday.
The alleged crimes are believed to have been carried out in February and March by Russian troops while they controlled much of the area.
HRW said it had interviewed 65 people between April 10 and May 10, including families of victims and people who said they were detained and tortured by Russian troops.
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The group said it has collected physical evidence further implicating Russian troops in "numerous violations of the laws of war that may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity."
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Among the testimonies collected by HRW is that of Anastasia Andriivna, 66, from the Kyiv region, who said she found the body of her adult son in a barn after apparently being executed.
"He was lying in a fetal position, with his hands tucked under his head and his jacket over his shoulders," Andriivna told HRW.
The organization also reported testimonies from villagers who said they were among 350 people held for 28 days in a cramped, squalid cellar in Yahidne, near Chernihiv.
Other villagers were killed by Russian troops, according to HRW.
HRW's director for Europe and Central Asia, Giorgi Gogia, called the alleged Russian atrocities "abhorrent, illegal and cruel".
"These abuses against the civilian population are clear war crimes that must be promptly and impartially investigated and properly prosecuted," Gogia said.
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