The US has seen 'very credible reports' of intentional attacks on civilians constituting a war crime, Blinken says

• Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday said the US has seen "very credible reports of deliberate attacks on civilians."

• The attacks would constitute a war crime, Blinken told CNN's Jake Tapper.

• Russian President Vladimir Putin initially said citizens would not be targeted.

The United States has seen "very credible reports of deliberate attacks on civilians" in Ukraine at the hands of Russian forces, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Sunday.

"We've seen very credible reports of deliberate attacks on civilians which would constitute a war crime. We've seen very credible reports about the use of certain weapons," Blinken told CNN's Jake Tapper during an interview.

Sunday marks the 11th day of Russia's assault on Ukraine.

Putin initially said that his invasion of Ukraine would not target any civilians, but the offensive has since indiscriminately bombed multiple towns and cities, hitting hospitals, apartment buildings, and an orphanage.

The British Ministry of Defence has said on Saturday that the Russian offensive is targeting civilians to try and "break morale."

"What we're doing right now is documenting all of this, putting it all together, looking at it and making sure that, as people and the appropriate organizations and institutions investigate whether war crimes have been or are being committed," Blinken said. "They're very credible and we're documenting everything."

Russian troops failed to uphold the second planned cease-fire in Mariupol, doling out "heavy shelling" as civilians tried to escape through a designated safe route.

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