Ukraine in grip of third winter of escalating Russian attacks

In a scheduled update mandated by the Council in Geneva, Nada Al-Nashif said that these attacks had led to the deaths of 574 civilians – an increase of 30 per cent over the previous year.

She noted that Russian bombardment had also damaged key infrastructure such as water, heating and transport services, with several major attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.

Russia accuses Ukraine of ‘terrorist acts’

The Russian delegation at the Council rejected the Deputy High Commissioner’s allegations and accused Ukrainian forces of carrying out “terrorist acts on homes in various Russian regions”.

The Ukrainian representative condemned ongoing deadly attacks by Russian forces; one on New Year’s Eve involved 100 drones that left two dead and seven injured, including two pregnant women in the capital, Kyiv.

Ms. Al Nashif also warned of “increasing, gross 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 … severe beatings, electric shocks, strangulation and prolonged solitary confinement. Most reported being subjected to sexual violence, including rape and forced nudity”.

Credible allegations of executions

“I am deeply concerned by a significant increase in credible allegations of executions of Ukrainian military personnel captured by Russian armed forces. Summary executions constitute a war crime. The Office recorded 62 such executions in 19 separate incidents during the reporting period and verified 5 of these incidents…”

Ms. Al Nashif also noted that Russian prisoners of war held by Ukraine reported being subjected to torture, severe beatings, sexual violence and dog attacks, mostly in places of transit before reaching official places of internment.

According to the UN monitoring mission in Ukraine, since February 2022, conflict there has killed more than 12,300 civilians, including more than 650 children, with at least 27,800 injured.

Over 700 medical facilities and 1,500 schools and colleges have also been damaged or destroyed.