3 times more civilians killed in last 500 days as during previous 8 years of hostilities in eastern Ukraine - UN

The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine has stated that 3 times as many civilians have been killed in the last 500 days of the full-scale invasion as in the previous 8 years of fighting in eastern Ukraine

This was reported on July 7 by the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU).

The HRMMU have confirmed the deaths of at least 9,000 civilians, including over 500 children, since Russia's full-scale invasion, but warned that the actual number of victims could be much higher.

“Today we mark another grim milestone in the war that continues to exact a horrific toll on Ukraine’s civilians,” said Noel Calhoun, the deputy head of HRMMU.

She also noted that the total monthly number of killed and wounded decreased at the beginning of this year compared to the previous year, but the average number of casualties increased again in May and June.

• According to UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo, in May, Russia increased its missile and drone attacks in Ukraine nearly threefold compared to previous periods.