Civilians in Ukraine continue to pay the horrendous price for the war

Human rights monitors in Ukraine have continued to document widespread torture and ill-treatment of civilians and prisoners of war by the Russian military.

The number of civilians killed has risen to nearly 10,000 after 20 months of war and tens of thousands injured, according to the report by the Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, which notes the deadly cost of the full-scale Russian invasion with nearly six killed and 20 injured on average every day between February and July this year.   

Fear and destruction  

Civilians also face torture, ill-treatment, sexual violence and arbitrary detention. Hundreds remain imprisoned and their families do not know what will happen to them.

Russian missile attacks on residential areas and vital infrastructure, as well as agricultural and grain facilities, continue to spread fear and destruction across Ukraine.

The war has caused millions of Ukrainians to fall below the poverty line, a situation made worse by the widespread economic and social damage caused by attacks on vital agricultural facilities.    

Horrible legacy    

The destruction of the Kakhovka dam in June is a case in point. The breach caused extensive flooding and an environmental disaster that, according to the report, will have long-term adverse effects on the rights and welfare of people living in the area.

"The war has wreaked havoc on the lives of millions of Ukrainians, including children who will have to live for many years to come with a horrific legacy of human loss, physical destruction and environmental damage, including contamination from explosive remnants of war," said Danielle Bell, head of the Mission. 

Widespread torture 

Human rights monitors continued to document widespread torture and ill-treatment of civilians and prisoners of war during the reporting period, including brutal beatings, electrocutions, mock executions, sexual violence and degrading treatment.

Appalling conditions of detention also continued, characterised by lack of food and medical services, overcrowding, poor living and sanitary conditions, lack of sleep and lack of access to the outside world. To date, Russia has refused to allow any access to UN human rights monitors.

In contrast, Ukraine continues to grant observers unrestricted access to interned prisoners of war, and conditions in the prison camp near the western city of Lviv have improved, according to the report. 

Update on Olenivka attack 

The UN Mission has also called for further investigation into the July 2022 attack on the Olenivka penal colony, in which 51 Ukrainian POWs were killed and at least 139 wounded.

The report ruled out the use of a HIMARS rocket in the attack. Russia was also criticised for holding POWs close to the front line, in violation of humanitarian law, and for not giving the UN access to the site.

Other issues addressed in the report include Russia's introduction of its own administrative and educational systems in the territories under its control. Residents of these areas were pressured to accept Russian citizenship, for example, and some men have been forced to enlist in the armed forces.

While highlighting progress on some issues in Ukrainian-controlled areas, the report notes the continued prosecution of thousands of individuals accused of collaborating with Russia in previously occupied areas. 

Transfers and deportations of children 

The report also notes the lack of information on Ukrainian children, some of them institutionalised and with physical and intellectual disabilities, who were transferred to locations within the occupied areas or deported to Russia.

Specific mention was made of children who had been sent to summer camps in Russia, allegedly with the consent of their parents, but were not returned home.

To date, Russia has not identified the children or reunited them with their families, according to the report, which calls for the return of all those deported and transferred.