Ukraine faces a third winter because of escalating Russian attacks
In a scheduled update commissioned by the Council in Geneva, Nada Al-Nashif said that these attacks had resulted in the deaths of 574 civilians – a 30% increase over the previous year.
She noted that Russia’s bombardment has also damaged critical infrastructure such as water, heating and transportation services, along with several major attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
Russia accuses Ukraine of carrying out ‘terrorist acts’
The Russian delegation to the Council rejected the Deputy High Commissioner’s accusations and accused Ukrainian forces of carrying out “terrorist acts targeting homes in various regions of Russia.”
The representative of Ukraine condemned the ongoing deadly attacks by Russian forces; An incident on New Year’s Eve involving 100 drones left 2 people dead and 7 injured, including 2 pregnant women in the capital Kyiv.
Ms. Al Nashif also warned of “increasing violations of international human rights law and serious violations of humanitarian law, including possible war crimes.”
And she said that Ukrainian prisoners of war, “both men and women, described widespread and systematic torture… brutal beatings, electric shocks, strangulation and prolonged solitary confinement.”. Most said they were victims of sexual violence, including rape and forced nudity.”
Credible allegations of executions
“I am deeply concerned by the significant increase in credible allegations of the execution of Ukrainian servicemen captured by the Russian armed forces. Summary executions constitute war crimes. The office recorded 62 such executions in 19 separate cases during the reporting period and verified five of these incidents…”
Ms. Al Nashif also noted that Russian prisoners of war held by Ukraine reported being tortured, brutally beaten, sexually assaulted and attacked by dogs.mainly in transit places before arriving at the official place of detention.
According to the United Nations monitoring mission in Ukraine, since February 2022, the conflict here has killed more than 12,300 civilians, including more than 650 children, and injured at least 27,800 people.
More than 700 medical facilities and 1,500 schools and colleges were also damaged or destroyed.
