More than 10,000 civilians have been killed in Ukraine since war started, says UNMore than 10,000 civilians have been killed in Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, with about half of recent deaths occurring far behind the frontlines, the UN human rights office has said.
The UN human rights mission in Ukraine, which has dozens of monitors in the country, said it expected the real toll to be “significantly higher” than the official tally since corroboration work is continuing.
This includes events in the first months after the invasion, such as the battle for control of Mariupol, where residents reported high civilian casualties.
Danielle Bell, who heads the monitoring mission, said:
Ten thousand civilian deaths is a grim milestone for Ukraine.
The Russian Federation’s war against Ukraine, now entering into its 21st month, risks evolving into a protracted conflict, with the severe human cost being painful to fathom.
The vast majority of the deaths have been caused by explosive weapons with a wide-area impact such as shells, missiles and cluster munitions, according to the UN.