3 March 2022 Chernihiv bombing

On 3 March 2022, at approximately 12:00 local time, six unguided aerial bombs were filmed falling on a residential area of Chernihiv, Ukraine, striking a triangular public square formed by Viacheslava Chornovila and Kruhova streets. The strike occurred during the siege of Chernihiv as part of the wider Russian invasion of Ukraine. Analysis by Amnesty International later found that at least eight bombs had fallen in the area. A resident of Ivana Bohuna Street, identified as Alina, reported hearing a loud buzzing sound before the bombs exploded.

The attack was captured on a dashboard camera, showing the bombs falling and the resulting explosion. Additional footage circulated online depicted the bodies of victims, survivors being carried away on stretchers, firefighters battling blazes in the main apartment complex that had been struck, and burning cars and trees. Regional Governor Viacheslav Chaus told reporters that two schools were hit in the attack. Separately, on the same day, two other schools (No. 18 and No. 21) and eight private houses were destroyed, with seven more houses heavily damaged, in the vicinity of Biloruskyi Lane in another part of the city.

Among those affected was Yulia Matvienko, another resident of Ivana Bohuna Street, who survived with a head injury; her three children were uninjured but had to crawl out from under rubble after the explosion. Local emergency services recorded 38 men and 9 women killed, and 18 people injured, in the bombing.

Amnesty International investigated the strike and stated it was unable to identify a legitimate military target in the vicinity, concluding the attack could constitute a war crime. Human Rights Watch conducted a separate investigation, including telephone interviews with three witnesses and two additional Chernihiv residents, along with analysis of 22 videos and 12 photographs. HRW found no evidence of a significant military target in or near the intersection at the time it was struck, describing the strike as pointing to a "potentially deliberate or reckless indiscriminate attack." The organization called for investigation by the International Criminal Court and the United Nations Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine to determine whether a war crime occurred and to hold those responsible to account. Witnesses interviewed by HRW said they were unaware of any military targets or operations in the neighborhood.

Investigators also identified a bomb crater consistent with a 500 kg bomb; FAB-500 bombs were known to have been used by Russian forces during the invasion. As of the available reporting, no individuals have been publicly charged in connection with this specific strike.