Human Rights Watch says Merkel should press Ukrainian prime minister to ensure Ukrainian forces take 'all feasible precautions' to minimize harm to civilians

The demand comes ahead of a meeting on Thursday (8 January) between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) says Merkel should stress the need for Ukraine's defence ministry to issue "clear and specific" orders to troops fighting a Russian-backed insurgency in eastern Ukraine not to use certain explosive weapons in areas populated by civilians.

It says Merkel should also press the Ukraine authorities to conduct further investigations into allegations that Ukrainian forces were responsible for attacks in the east that failed to distinguish between civilian and military objects, causing civilian casualties.

The demand comes in the wake of a call by French President Francois Hollande for Western sanctions on Russia to be lifted if progress is made in talks on the Ukraine conflict this month.

He did not specify which sanctions - imposed by the EU, US and Canada - could be lifted. The sanctions began after Russia annexed Crimea in March but Hollande said Russian President Vladimir Putin "doesn't want to annex eastern Ukraine - he told me that".

Germany's vice chancellor has warned against further sanctions on Russia.

Speaking ahead of this week's meeting between Merkel and Yatseniuk, Rachel Denber, deputy Europe and Central Asia director at HRW, said: “Ukraine is in the throes of multiple crises and needs Germany’s assistance.

“As one of Ukraine’s most important allies, Germany has a special responsibility to make sure that the country’s leadership is actively enforcing the obligation to respect the laws of war and protect civilians.”

The United Nations estimates combined civilian and military casualties on all sides in the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine at 4,364 killed and 10,064 wounded.

HRW has documented government and rebel forces’ use of cluster munitions and Grad rockets in areas populated by civilians. It says the use of such weapons in populated areas is indiscriminate since the weapons affect a wide area and cannot distinguish between military targets and civilian objects.

“Ukrainian authorities have done the right thing by starting an investigation, but that will mean nothing if they do not investigate thoroughly,” Denber said. “We urge Merkel to encourage Yatseniuk to ensure that the job gets done.”

"The defence ministry’s instructions are a step in the right direction, but we are counting on Merkel to firmly underscore the importance of specific instructions not to use certain weapons in populated areas,” Denber added.

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