Amnesty International on Sunday apologized for "distress and anger" over their report accusing the Ukrainian military of endangering civilians, Reuters reported.

"Amnesty International deeply regrets the distress and anger that our press release on the Ukrainian military's fighting tactics has caused," it said in an email to Reuters.

"Amnesty International’s priority in this and in any conflict is ensuring that civilians are protected," the organization said.

"While we fully stand by our findings, we regret the pain caused," Amnesty International said.

In its email on Sunday, Amnesty said it had found Ukrainian forces next to civilian residences in 19 towns and villages it visited, exposing them to risk of incoming Russian fire.

"This does not mean that Amnesty International holds Ukrainian forces responsible for violations committed by Russian forces, nor that the Ukrainian military is not taking adequate precautions elsewhere in the country. We must be very clear: nothing we documented Ukrainian forces doing in any way justifies Russian violations," it said.

On Thursday, the human rights group released a report saying that the presence of Ukrainian troops in residential areas increases the risk to civilians during a Russian invasion.