War in Ukraine has left nearly 22,000 civilians killed or wounded: UN

Geneva, Mar 13 (EFE).- At least 21,965 civilians have been killed or injured since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, the United Nations Human Rights Office (OHCHR) reported on Monday.

OHCHR confirmed the death of a total of 8,231 civilians but said the real toll could be much higher since it was difficult to estimate the number of possible victims in areas hit hard by the conflict.

The number of those injured stood at 13,734, according to the office that has been monitoring civilian casualties since the beginning of the war on February 24 last year.

The highest number of civilian casualties was recorded in areas under the control of the Ukrainian government, with 6,372 dead and 11,247 injured.

In the Russian-held regions, 1,859 were killed and 2,487 others were wounded.

More than 3,900 people were killed and 2,900 others injured in March 2022 alone, according to OHCHR estimates, but since then, the number has been decreasing.

Most of the deaths were caused by explosive weapons that have wide-area effects, followed by anti-personnel mines and explosive remnants of war, the report highlighted.EFE

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