Protection of civilians

The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission verified that at least 592 civilians were killed or injured in Ukraine in December 2023. This constitutes a 26.5 per cent increase in verified civilian casualties compared with the previous month. The number of reported civilian casualties, some of which are still pending verification, suggest that the increase was even higher. The increase in civilian casualties in December breaks a trend of decreasing numbers of civilian casualties in 2023.

The number of civilian casualties remained high in November with at least 461 civilians killed or injured. The number of civilian casualties in November was 24 per cent lower than in October 2023, and 37 per cent lower than in November 2022, continuing a trend of gradual decline in 2023.

The number of civilian casualties remained high in October, with 605 civilians killed or injured.

This report was prepared by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) through the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution A/HRC/53/L.1 on cooperation with and assistance to Ukraine in the field of human rights.

From 24 February 2022, which marked the start of the large-scale armed attack by the Russian Federation, to 30 June 2023, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has recorded 25,170 civilian casualties in 1,504 settlements of Ukraine, including 9,177 killed and 15,993 injured. Of those casualties, among adults whose sex was known, men comprised 61 per cent and women comprised 39 per cent. Of those casualties among children whose sex was known, boys comprised 57.2 per cent, and girls comprised 42.8 per cent.