UN Building in Geneva The Human Rights Office is concerned about reports of civilian casualties in the Kursk region Peace and Security
The UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) is concerned about reports of civilian casualties in the Kursk region of Russia, OHCHR spokesperson Elizabeth Throssel said in response to a journalist’s question at a press briefing in Geneva.
Throssel said OHCHR does not have monitors in the Russian Federation, so the Office sought additional information through other channels. Their findings will be included in the next periodic report, which will be published at the end of September.
According to media reports, Ukrainian troops have been conducting an operation in the Kursk region of the Russian Federation since August 6. Fighting is taking place on the outskirts of the city of Sudzha. A state of emergency was declared in the region, first at regional and then at federal level.
IAEA Chief on Situation in Kursk NPP Area
The International Atomic Energy Agency is monitoring the situation related to reports of military action in the area of the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant (NPP).
The Kursk NPP, as noted by the agency, has six power units: two of them are shut down, two are fully operational. Two more units are under construction.
“I would like to remind all parties of the seven essential pillars of nuclear safety and security in times of armed conflict,” said IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi, noting the “significant” military activity in the area of the plant.
He also recalled the five principles of nuclear safety established for the Zaporizhzhya NPP in the context of the conflict between the Russian Federation and Ukraine. These principles, according to Grossi, “are equally applicable in this situation.”
“These include, among other things, the need to ensure the physical integrity of the nuclear power plant. This is true regardless of where the nuclear power plant is located,” the IAEA chief said.
He called on all parties to exercise maximum restraint to avoid a nuclear accident “that could lead to serious radiological consequences.”
Grossi said he was in contact with the relevant authorities in both countries and would continue to pursue the matter.
“I will continue to inform the international community as necessary,” the IAEA chief concluded.
Denise Brown condemns attack on Kostyantynivka in Donetsk region
Meanwhile, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine, Denise Brown, condemned an attack that killed and injured dozens of civilians in the town of Kostyantynivka in Donetsk region.
Brown said civilians were paying the highest price for the war and called for the situation not to be allowed to return to normal.
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the escalation of attacks in both the Donetsk and Sumy regions over the past two days had killed and injured civilians and damaged the civilian infrastructure they rely on. Local authorities and aid workers said children were among the dozens of casualties. Damage to a supermarket and a school was also reported.
Since early August, the cities of Myrnohrad, Pokrovsk and Toretsk have been hit repeatedly, according to OCHA, resulting in civilian casualties, damage to homes, schools and medical facilities, and the displacement of nearly 5,000 people.
Despite the risks, many civilians, especially the elderly, do not want to leave, OCHA notes. Humanitarian workers continue to provide assistance to victims in the Donetsk region, including food and cash assistance.