Amnesty International has accused Russia of waging an ongoing campaign of war crimes against the people of Ukraine, including targeting civilians and children.

The humanitarian group has verified 17 strikes in 2024 that resulted in child casualties, and its field research shows Russian forces deliberately targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure.

Patrick Thompson, Ukraine researcher for Amnesty International, called for the perpetrators of these unlawful attacks and war crimes to be held accountable.

"Children, as some of the most vulnerable groups in any society, enjoy special protection under international humanitarian law," Thompson said.

"Yet we continue to see them killed and injured in areas far from the front lines, including in areas with zero military targets."

War crimes are violations of international humanitarian law under the 1949 Geneva Convention, including intentional attacks on civilians, humanitarian aid workers, hospitals, or religious and educational buildings.

Amnesty International’s digital verification corps has so far verified more than 120 videos and images of attacks against children in 2024.

"The strikes Amnesty International documented this year, including the infamous attack on Ukraine's largest children's hospital in Kyiv, were war crimes reminiscent of the early days of the full-scale invasion when Russian forces bombed the maternity hospital and drama theater in Mariupol," Thompson said.

"Civilians and civilian objects, including hospitals, which enjoy special protection, continue to be the target of unlawful attacks, and more children are being killed and injured in them."

Data from the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) indicates the summer of 2024 was particularly deadly for Ukrainian children.

In July, a Russian missile struck Okhmatdyt, the largest children's hospital in Ukraine. The airstrike killed two people, injured more than 100 and caused massive damage.

The missile hit the toxicology building, destroying it and severely damaging the hospital’s intensive care unit.

Surgeon Oleg Golubchenko, who was operating on a child at the hospital at the time of the attack, described what he remembered in the moments after the strike.

"When I came back to my senses, everything around me was in ruins. I was injured too – I felt warmth all over my body and saw that I was bleeding, but my arms and legs were functioning, and I was breathing," he told Amnesty International.

"I crawled a little and saw that the child was okay, although the equipment was destroyed."

Conflict Armament Research confirmed the missile that struck Okhmatdyt was the highly accurate Kh-10112 cruise missile, designed to evade air defense systems by flying at low, terrain-hugging altitudes.

Amnesty International has verified 14 images and six videos showing the missile strike on Okhmatdyt and the aftermath, which includes severe damage to hospital wards, broken windows, debris and blood stains.

Thompson said Amnesty International’s report of increased attacks on civilians and civilian casualties serves as a reminder that Russia’s aggression against Ukraine continues with a heavy human cost.

"Unlawful attacks, particularly those that harm children, are designed to sow terror and panic among the civilian population," he said.

"The sense of impunity that the perpetrators enjoy must end. It is up to the international community to ensure that they are brought to justice."

He added, "Without accountability, these attacks will only continue."

According to OHCHR data, approximately 89% of civilian casualties have occurred in territories controlled by Ukraine.

Amnesty International has documented numerous instances since February 2022 of Russian forces conducting indiscriminate attacks in Ukraine, resulting in thousands of civilian casualties, as well as evidence of other war crimes, including torture, sexual violence and unlawful killings.

Amnesty International’s call for peace comes as U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated the U.K. will "double down" on support for Ukraine after U.S. President Joe Biden approved the use of U.S.-supplied long-range missiles to strike inside Russia.

Starmer pledged that Ukraine was "top" of his agenda for this week’s G-20 summit and told reporters that "there's got to be full support as long as it takes."

"We need to double down on shoring up our support for Ukraine, and that's top of my agenda for the G-20," the prime minister said on Sunday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been pushing for permission to use Storm Shadow and other Western-supplied weapons to strike Russian airbases and other military sites.

Downing Street offered no comment on the reports about the US on Sunday evening.

Speaking to reporters on his way to the G-20 summit in Brazil, Starmer added: "We are approaching the 1,000th day of this conflict on Tuesday."

"That’s 1,000 days of Russian aggression, 1,000 days of huge impact and sacrifice for the Ukrainian people. Recently, we've seen North Korean troops working with Russian forces, which has serious implications."

"I think, on one hand, it shows Russia’s desperation, but it also has serious implications for European security ... and for Indo-Pacific security, and that's why I think we need to double down on shoring up our support for Ukraine. That’s top of my agenda for the G-20."

"There’s got to be full support as long as it takes, and that certainly is top of my agenda – shoring up that further support for Ukraine."