From 24 February 2022, which marked the start of the large-scale armed attack by the Russian Federation, to 12 March 2023, OHCHR recorded 21,965 civilian casualties in the country: 8,231 killed and 13,734 injured. This included:
- 17,619 casualties (6,372 killed and 11,247 injured) in territory controlled by the Government when casualties occurred:
- In Donetsk and Luhansk regions: 9,051 casualties (3,762 killed and 5,289 injured); and
- In other regions2: 8,568 casualties (2,610 killed and 5,958 injured).
- 4,346 casualties (1,859 killed and 2,487 injured) in territory occupied by the Russian Federation when casualties occurred:
- In Donetsk and Luhansk regions: 2,879 casualties (632 killed and 2,247 injured); and
- In other regions3: 1,467 casualties (1,227 killed and 240 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 12 March 2023(individual cases verified by OHCHR)
From 1 to 12 March 2023, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) recorded 293 civilian casualties in Ukraine:
- 84 killed (48 men, 23 women, 4 boys, 1 girl, as well as 8 adults whose sex is not yet known); and
- 209 injured (81 men, 41 women, 15 boys, 1 girl, as well as 71 adults whose sex is not yet known).
This included:
- 71 killed and 172 injured in 70 settlements in territory controlled by the Government when casualties occurred (83 percent of the total); and
- 13 killed and 37 injured in 12 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: 72 killed and 182 injured (87 per cent);
- Mines and explosive remnants of war: 12 killed and 27 injured (13 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 andnumbers 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.
