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UN human rights chief Volker Türk said his office had received "extremely disturbing reports of entire families, including women, children and hors de combat fighters, being killed".

“Allegations of summary executions of people hors de combat should be promptly, fully and effectively investigated, and any perpetrators held to account.”

“We have received credible allegations of summary executions of persons hors de combat, and several cases of torture and ill-treatment, reportedly committed by members of the Ukrainian armed forces,” Bogner said.

Its use against military targets, while permitted, is discouraged if there are other means to render enemy combatants hors de combat because of the suffering caused by phosphorus burns.

People who are not actually fighting, she explains, are "hors de combat" - or "out of action" - and international law is very clear about how they should be treated.