Ukraine war civilian deaths cross grim milestone of 9,500

Geneva, Aug 28 (EFE).- The United Nations said on Monday that more than 9,500 civilians, including 520 children, have been killed since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb.24, 2022, though the actual number could be much higher.

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said it recorded 26,717 civilian casualties in Ukraine: 9,511 killed and 17,206 injured.

The majority of deaths have occurred in areas controlled by the Ukrainian government, the UN rights office said in a statement that covers the period from the start of the war through Aug.27, 2023.

There have been 2,115 civilian deaths in Ukrainian territories under the Russian occupation, while 7,396 civilian fatalities have been recorded in the rest of Ukraine.

In addition, 14,207 people have sustained injuries in Kyiv-controlled areas and 2,999 in occupied territories.

The number of casualties is considered to be an underestimation, as the UN regulations allow only cases with identity and sufficient details to be reported.

“OHCHR believes that the actual figures are considerably higher, as the receipt of information from some locations where intense hostilities have been going on has been delayed and many reports are still pending corroboration,” the UN rights agency said.

These areas include Mariupol (Donetsk region), Lysychansk, Popasna, and Sievierodonetsk (Luhansk region), where there are allegations of numerous civilian casualties.

Last month, the use of weapons with long-range explosives was the leading cause of deaths, followed by the detonation of mines and other leftover explosives, according to statistics kept by the Geneva-based international organization. EFE

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