From 24 February 2022, which marked the start of the large-scale armed attack by the Russian Federation, to 9 April 2023, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) recorded 22,734 civilian casualties in the country: 8,490 killed and 14,244 injured. This included:
- 18,280 casualties (6,596 killed and 11,684 injured) in territory controlled by the Government when casualties occurred:
- In Donetsk and Luhansk regions: 9,410 casualties (3,927 killed and 5,483 injured); and
- In other regions2: 8,870 casualties (2,669 killed and 6,201 injured).
- 4,454 casualties (1,894 killed and 2,560 injured) in territory occupied by the Russian Federation when casualties occurred:
- In Donetsk and Luhansk regions: 2,968 casualties (652 killed and 2,316 injured); and
- In other regions3: 1,486 casualties (1,242 killed and 244 injured).
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. This concerns, for example, Mariupol (Donetsk region), Lysychansk, Popasna, and Sievierodonetsk (Luhansk region), where there are allegations of numerous civilian casualties.
Civilian casualties from 1 to 9 April 2023 (individual cases verified by OHCHR)
From 1 to 9 April 2023, OHCHR recorded 163 civilian casualties in Ukraine:
- 44 killed (22 men, 11 women, as well as 11 adults whose sex is not yet known); and
- 119 injured (34 men, 26 women, 2 boys, 1 girl, as well as 56 adults whose sex is not yet known).
This included:
- 34 killed and 101 injured in 46 settlements in territory controlled by the Government when casualties occurred (83 percent of the total); and
- 10 killed and 18 injured in 7 settlements in territory occupied by the Russian Federation when casualties occurred (17 percent of the total).
Per type of weapon/incident:
- Explosive weapons with wide area effects: 43 killed and 108 injured (93 per cent);
- Mines and explosive remnants of war: 1 killed and 11 injured (7 per cent).
The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine
Since 2014, OHCHR has been documenting civilian casualties in Ukraine. Reports are based on information that the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) collected through interviews with victims and their relatives; witnesses; analysis of corroborating material confidentially shared with HRMMU; official records; open-source documents, photo and video materials; forensic records and reports; criminal investigation materials; court documents; reports by international and national non-governmental organisations; public reports by law enforcement and military actors; data from medical facilities and local authorities. All sources and information are assessed for their relevance and credibility and cross-checked against other information. In some instances, corroboration may take time. This may mean that conclusions on civilian casualties may be revised as more information becomes available and numbers may change as new information emerges over time. Statistics presented in the current update are based on individual civilian casualty records where the “reasonable grounds to believe” standard of proof was met, namely where, based on a body of verified information, an ordinarily prudent observer would have reasonable grounds to believe that the casualty took place as described.
