Amnesty International said on Wednesday Russian air raids have killed hundreds of civilians in Syria, many in targeted strikes that could constitute war crimes, since beginning nearly three months ago.
Some attacks "appear to have directly attacked civilians or civilian objects by striking residential areas with no evident military target and even medical facilities, resulting in deaths and injuries to civilians," Amnesty Middle East and North Africa director Philip Luther said in a statement.
"Such attacks may amount to war crimes," he said, adding that it "is crucial that suspected violations are independently and impartially investigated."
On Tuesday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Russian air strikes had killed 2,132 people since the campaign began at the end of September, including 710 civilians.
The Syrian conflict has killed more than 250,000 people and forced millions to flee their homes since it broke out in March 2011.
