The rules of war are spelled out in the Geneva Conventions. During wars, both sides must do everything to ensure that as few civilians as possible suffer. There are three basic principles that the military must take into account so that their actions are not qualified as war crimes. These principles are related and must be considered together. The Russians violated all of them.
The principle of distinction.
The parties must clearly distinguish between military and civilian objects. Attacking civilians is prohibited. A civilian object can become a legitimate military target when it is used by military personnel, but only if at that moment they are making an effective contribution to the hostilities. Simply put, what happens there significantly affects the war. The same cannot be said about military awards.
The principle of proportionality.
The military advantage gained as a result of the attack must outweigh the damage caused to civilians and objects. The Russian Ministry of Defense tried to convince that Russia adhered to this principle and struck the command of the OTG "Siversk", so at least 60 servicemen. In fact, several sources of Babel in the Armed Forces of Ukraine and security agencies stated that the OTG did not hold its meetings at the site of the missile strike either on the day of the strike or before. All that is known is the death of the commander of the 27th brigade Yuriy Yula. Moreover, 35 civilians died.
Precautionary principle.
The attacking party must choose its weapons with the utmost care to minimize harm to civilians. The Russians used a ballistic missile with cluster munitions for their attack. The purpose of such weapons is to kill and injure as many people as possible in the area of impact. Moreover, the Russians once again used the prohibited tactic of a double strike — the missiles arrived several minutes apart, when people came to the aid of those injured by the first missile.