Destruction in Kharkiv after the September 22 strike. UN report: Russian forces systematically torture Ukrainian prisoners of war Human Rights
From June 1 to August 31, 2024, at least 589 civilians were killed and another 2,685 were injured across Ukraine – a 45 percent increase over the previous three months, according to a new report from the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR).
Most of the casualties were in territory controlled by Ukraine. According to the report, the highest number of casualties occurred on 8 July, when at least 43 civilians were killed in a large-scale coordinated missile attack by the Russian Federation.
“The number of civilian casualties in September is expected to be high, as in August,” OHCHR spokesperson Liz Throssell said at a press briefing in Geneva.
For example, today, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, a market in Kherson was shelled, civilians were injured and an important civilian facility was damaged. Humanitarian Coordinator Matthias Schmale strongly condemned the attack and called for the protection of civilians.
As of 31 August, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) had verified that 11,743 civilians had been killed and 24,614 injured in conflict-related violence since 24 February 2022.
Shelling of civilian objects
“Intensive military actions by the Russian armed forces have forced the Ukrainian government to evacuate thousands of people from areas adjacent to the front line. Strikes on cities across Ukraine, such as Sumy, Kharkiv and Zaporizhia, damaged and destroyed civilian property and infrastructure, including schools, hospitals and even a nursing home,” Throssell said.
During the reporting period, Russian forces continued to strike energy infrastructure across Ukraine, damaging vital services. Concerns are growing about the plight of civilians as winter approaches.
Torture of Prisoners of War
“The key finding of the report is that Russian authorities are subjecting Ukrainian prisoners of war to widespread and systematic torture. We interviewed 174 Ukrainian prisoners of war, including five medics. Almost every one of them provided credible and reliable accounts of torture or ill-treatment,” said HRMMU Director Danielle Bell.
According to her, prisoners of war were subjected to beatings, electric shocks, torture with dogs, suffocation, sleep deprivation, mock executions, sensory deprivation, threats and humiliation, and 68 percent of those interviewed reported sexual violence. Torture and cruel treatment took place at all stages – during interrogations and during internment.
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The mission documented the deaths of 10 Ukrainian prisoners of war as a result of torture, poor conditions of detention or inadequate medical care, Bell said.
According to OHCHR, a number of factors indicate that prison guards were aware of such treatment and had the opportunity to prevent it. In addition, some public figures in the Russian Federation openly call for the inhumane treatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war and even their murder, the report says.
The report also notes that Russian prisoners of war were tortured or cruelly treated by Ukrainian military personnel during the initial stages of captivity.
Situation in Russia
A significant event during the reporting period was the cross-border offensive of the Ukrainian armed forces on August 6 into the Kursk region of the Russian Federation.
“While we have identified some of the civilians who were killed and wounded in connection with this offensive, we have been unable to establish the exact circumstances due to lack of access and limited public information. In August, we asked the Russian authorities to facilitate access for these purposes, but to date it has not been granted,” the OHCHR said.
The High Commissioner for Human Rights will formally present the report to the UN Human Rights Council on October 8.