The United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine has reported that at least 70 individuals have died and over 500 have been injured since May 1 due to widespread attacks across the country. On May 5 alone, 28 people were killed and 194 injured in a series of strikes attributed to Russian forces.
Daniela Bell, head of the mission, expressed grave concern over the high number of civilian casualties and the extensive areas affected in such a short span of time. Many victims were engaged in daily activities like commuting to work, shopping, or assisting in recovery efforts from previous attacks. “In these circumstances, the harm inflicted on civilians is foreseeable,” Bell stated.
The report detailed that on May 5, aerial bombs struck an industrial area in Zaporizhzhia, resulting in at least 12 fatalities and 46 injuries. Additionally, central Kramatorsk was hit, claiming six lives and injuring 13 others. The ongoing barrage of long-range missiles and drones since May 1 has led to civilian casualties throughout Ukraine, including in western cities like Ternopil and Rivne, as well as in Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, Poltava, and Odesa regions.
Some victims were emergency responders and rescuers who were targeted during subsequent strikes on previously hit locations. In Poltava, two rescuers died and others were injured when a second attack hit a gas facility that had already been struck on the night of May 4-5. In Kherson, medical personnel were attacked by a drone while providing aid to victims of an earlier strike.
The mission also reported casualties in areas occupied by Russian forces, with 10 deaths, including five from drone strikes on May 5 in Dzhankoy, Crimea.
The UN emphasized that under international humanitarian law, attacking parties must take all feasible precautions to minimize civilian casualties, considering the timing and type of weaponry used.
Russian military forces have been consistently targeting Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure using various weapons, including drones, missiles, and artillery systems.
Ukrainian authorities and international organizations classify these attacks as war crimes, asserting they are deliberate in nature. The assaults on essential services and healthcare facilities aim to deprive civilians of electricity, heat, water, communication, and medical assistance, which some legal experts and human rights advocates characterize as genocidal actions.
During this large-scale conflict, Russia is accused of committing acts that could fall under the definition of genocide, including public declarations of intent to destroy Ukrainians as an ethnic group. Russian officials have repeatedly claimed that Ukrainians do not exist as a distinct ethnicity and have called for their eradication.
The 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide obligates signatory countries to prevent and punish acts of genocide during both wartime and peacetime. The convention defines genocide as actions aimed at the destruction of a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group, including killing members of the group or causing serious bodily or mental harm.
Despite these allegations, Russian leadership denies that its military is intentionally targeting civilian infrastructure, asserting that it does not engage in attacks that would result in civilian casualties or the destruction of hospitals, schools, and essential services.
The UN has reported significant civilian casualties in Ukraine due to ongoing attacks, raising concerns about the humanitarian impact of the conflict. With many victims engaged in everyday activities, the situation highlights the severe risks faced by civilians amidst military operations.