UN: 9,000 civilians killed in Ukraine, including 500 children

(Patria) - The United Nations (UN) issued a statement yesterday on the occasion of 500 days since the start of the war in Ukraine, agencies reported.

More than 9,000 civilians, including 500 children, have been killed since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine announced.

"Today we mark a new dark milestone in a war that continues to take a terrible toll on Ukrainian civilians," said Noel Calhoun, Deputy Head of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, in a statement.

This year, the number of casualties has been lower on average than in 2022, but it has started to rise again in May and June, observers noted.

A large number of civilians have been killed in long-range missile attacks, and Ukrainians particularly accuse Russia of crimes in Bucha and Mariupol when they occupied these cities last year.