The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) report prepared by the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) found that the attacks had “caused extensive civilian casualties and significant damage to civilian property and infrastructure” .
Civilian population
“With May having the highest monthly number of civilian casualties in nearly a year, fighting this spring took a horrific toll on civilians, particularly in Kharkiv region and city,” Danielle Bell, the Head of HRMMU, said in a press release. “The relentless attacks resulted in tragic loss of life, displacement, and destruction of homes and businesses.”
The majority of civilian fatalities (96%) were caused by powerful munitions used in populated areas, the report said. These weapons include artillery shells, rockets, bombs, missiles, and loitering munitions.
Furthermore, people who managed to escape Russian bombing, but were unfortunate enough to find themselves in a Russian-occupied region were subject to torture.
The OHCHR found that 20 out of 31 released civilian detainees reported “severe beatings, including with batons and plastic sticks, pistol shots with rubber bullets, electric shocks, deprivation of water and food, mock executions, and threats. They also described dire conditions of detention that amount to ill-treatment and may, in some cases, amount to torture.”
The report added that since the beginning of the Russian invasion, there was a total of “263 cases of sexual violence against 168 men, 83 women, 10 girls, and 2 boys perpetrated by members of the Russian armed forces, law enforcement authorities and penitentiary services.”
It also found that between March and May, at least two Ukrainian servicemen were executed by Russian armed forces.
Civilian infrastructure
From late March to May 2024, Russian forces launched coordinated attacks on energy facilities across 15 regions in Ukraine. These strikes caused severe damage to power plants, substations, and distribution systems, disrupting electricity supply and compounding challenges for civilians.
During this period, the ОНСНR documented 78 attacks on energy infrastructure, highlighting the strategic targeting of critical facilities vital to Ukraine's functioning.
According to the report, Russian attacks “damaged or destroyed at least 110 educational facilities and 35 medical facilities during the reporting period.”
The report is to be presented to the Human Rights Council on July 9, 2024.
