Russian missile and drone strikes led to a 20% spike in Ukrainian civilian casualties in March versus the previous month, the U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine said this month.
U.N. monitors have verified that at least 604 civilians were killed or injured throughout Ukraine in March. The casualties were mainly due to attacks by Russian missiles and other munitions across Ukraine. Increased aerial bombardments near the front line in occupied Ukraine also were a factor, the officials said.
“At least 57 children were killed or injured in March, doubling the number from February,” the U.N. monitors said. “These casualties resulted particularly from the increased use of guided and unguided aerial bombs.”
Large-scale coordinated attacks from Russia destroyed or damaged at least 20 energy facilities throughout Ukraine. The strikes disrupted access to electricity and fresh water for millions of people in large cities and rural areas, the officials said.
U.N. monitors said they collected information about civilian harm in Ukraine from a wide range of sources, including interviews with victims and witnesses, forensic records and criminal investigation materials, and reports from international organizations.
“All sources and information are assessed for their relevance and credibility and cross-checked against other information,” the officials said.
