Three times as many civilians have been killed in Ukraine in last 500 days than in 8 years of war – UN
Photo: Telegram / Maksym Kozytskyi, Lviv governor
The United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (UNHRM) has reported that over the past 500 days, three times as many civilians have died compared to the entire eight years of hostilities in the east of Ukraine.
According to a press release from the UNHRM on Friday, the UN has confirmed the deaths of over 9,000 civilians, including more than 500 children, since the Russian invasion began on February 24, 2022. However, the UNHRM warned that the actual number of casualties could be much higher.
"Today we mark another sad milestone in the war, which continues to result in terrible civilian casualties in Ukraine," said Noel Calhoun, UNHRM deputy head, on the 500th day since the start of Russia's large-scale invasion.
The UNHRM observed that while the total monthly number of deaths and injuries decreased at the beginning of this year compared to 2022, there has been an increase in average numbers in May and June. The mission highlighted the recent deadly attack on June 27, when a rocket strike in the busy shopping district of Kramatorsk claimed the lives of 13 civilians, including four children. Among those killed by the attack were Ukrainian writer and human rights defender Victoria Amelina, who passed away from her injuries earlier this week.
Just a few days later, another Russian rocket attack in the western city of Lviv killed ten civilians. The statement emphasized that during these two weeks, civilian casualties reached some of the highest numbers since the beginning of the Russian invasion.
"The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission, which has been present in Ukraine since 2014, has noted that over the past 500 days, three times as many civilians have died compared to the eight years of hostilities in eastern Ukraine," the press release stated. The UN has verified the deaths of over 9,000 people and injuries to over 15,000 people due to the full-scale invasion by the Russian Federation.
