UN says Russia’s war in Ukraine has inflicted ‘horrific human cost’

Russia’s war in Ukraine has exacted a terrible human cost, inflicting huge suffering on millions, the United Nations rights chief said on Thursday, ahead of the second anniversary of the invasion.

The damage caused by the war would be felt for generations, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said.

He renewed his call for Moscow to immediately cease the war.

“The full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation has exacted a horrific human cost, inflicting immense suffering on millions of civilians,” Turk said.

He was speaking ahead of the anniversary of Russia’s fully-fledged invasion of its neighbor on February 24, 2022.

Turk called for thorough and independent investigations into all violations of human rights in the conflict and said its victims should be afforded reparations.

“Russia’s full-scale armed attack on Ukraine, which is about to enter its third year with no end in sight, continues to cause serious and widespread human rights violations, destroying lives and livelihoods,” he said.

Turk said millions of Ukrainians had been displaced, thousands had lost their homes, and hundreds of hospitals and schools had been damaged or destroyed.

“The long-term impact of this war in Ukraine will be felt for generations,” he said.

In its latest report, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine said it been able to corroborate the conflict-related deaths of 10,582 civilians since February 24, 2022.

It had verified that a further 19,875 civilians had been wounded.

“The actual numbers are likely significantly higher,” it stressed.