8,000 civilians killed since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine: UN

At least 8,000 civilians have been killed since Russia invaded Ukraine just under one year ago, according to a new update from the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

Another 13,000 or more have been injured, bringing the U.N.’s tally for civilian casualties of the war up to over 21,000.

High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said the latest figures “lay bare the loss and suffering inflicted on people since Russia’s armed attack began on 24 February last year.” 

“And our data are only the tip of the iceberg. The toll on civilians is unbearable. Amid electricity and water shortages during the cold winter months, nearly 18 million people are in dire need of humanitarian assistance. Some 14 million people have been displaced from their homes,” Türk added, also citing disrupted education and health systems. 

Of the 8,000 killed, at least 487 were children, according to the OHCHR. 

Ninety percent of the civilian casualties were caused by “explosive weapons with wide area effects, including artillery shells, cruise and ballistic missiles, and air strikes.”

The new death toll is up around a thousand from late December, when the office announced just under 7,000 had been killed. 

“Every day that violations of international human rights and humanitarian law continue, it becomes harder and harder to find a way forward through mounting suffering and destruction, towards peace,” Türk said.

The report comes after President Biden made a surprise visit to Kyiv on Monday, a rare trip for a U.S. president to an active war zone.

Vice President Harris last week announced the United States has formally determined that Russia has committed war crimes throughout the fighting. 

U.N. officials estimate the casualty figures are actually “likely substantially higher” due to difficulties verifying individual cases. The latest report does not include some civilian casualties that have been reported in Russia’s territory, given a “lack of corroborating information.”