Ukraine: civilian casualty update 19 June 2023

Date: 19 June 2023¹

Civilian casualties from 1 to 18 June 2023

From 1 to 18 June 2023, Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) recorded 557 civilian casualties in Ukraine:

• 112 killed (59 men, 39 women, 4 boys, 2 girls, as well as 8 adults whose sex is not yet known), and
• 445 injured (142 men, 126 women, 20 boys, 15 girls, as well as 142 adults whose sex is not yet known).

This included:

• 99 killed (52 men, 34 women, 3 boys, 2 girls, as well as 8 adults whose sex is not yet known) and 397 injured (125 men, 97 women, 19 boys, 14 girls, as well as 142 adults whose sex is not yet known) in 99 settlements in territory controlled by the Government when casualties occurred (89 percent of the total), and
• 13 killed (7 men, 5 women, and 1 boy) and 48 injured (17 men, 29 women, 1 boy, and 1 girl) in 13 settlements in territory occupied by the Russian Federation when casualties occurred (11 percent of the total).

Per type of weapon/incident:

• Explosive weapons with wide area effects: 107 killed and 425 injured (96 per cent):
  • 474 casualties (94 killed and 380 injured) in territory controlled by the Government when casualties occurred, and
  • 58 casualties (13 killed and 45 injured) in territory occupied by the Russian Federation when casualties occurred.
• Mines and explosive remnants of war: 5 killed and 20 injured (4 per cent):
  • 22 casualties (5 killed and 17 injured) in territory controlled by the Government when casualties occurred, and
  • 3 injured in territory occupied by the Russian Federation when casualties occurred.

Total civilian casualties

From 24 February 2022, which marked the start of the large-scale armed attack by the Russian Federation, to 18 June 2023, OHCHR recorded 24,862 civilian casualties in the country: 9,083 killed and 15,779 injured. This included:

• 20,073 casualties (7,072 killed and 13,001 injured) in territory controlled by the Government when casualties occurred:
  • In Donetsk and Luhansk regions: 9,966 casualties (4,105 killed and 5,861 injured); and
  • In other regions[2]: 10,107 casualties (2,967 killed and 7,140 injured).
• 4,789 casualties (2,011 killed and 2,778 injured) in territory occupied by the Russian Federation when casualties occurred:
  • In Donetsk and Luhansk regions: 3,239 casualties (718 killed and 2,521 injured); and
  • In other regions[3]: 1,550 casualties (1,293 killed and 257 injured).

OHCHR believes that the actual figures are considerably higher, as the receipt of information from some locations where intense hostilities have been going on has been delayed and many reports are still pending corroboration. This concerns, for example, Mariupol (Donetsk region), Lysychansk, Popasna, and Sievierodonetsk (Luhansk region), where there are allegations of numerous civilian casualties.

The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine

Since 2014, OHCHR has been documenting civilian casualties in Ukraine. Reports are based on information that the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) collected through interviews with victims and their relatives; witnesses; analysis of corroborating material confidentially shared with HRMMU; official records; open-source documents, photo and video materials; forensic records and reports; criminal investigation materials; court documents; reports by international and national non-governmental organisations; public reports by law enforcement and military actors; data from medical facilities and local authorities. All sources and information are assessed for their relevance and credibility and cross-checked against other information. In some instances, corroboration may take time. This may mean that conclusions on civilian casualties may be revised as more information becomes available and numbers may change as new information emerges over time. Statistics presented in the current update are based on individual civilian casualty records where the “reasonable grounds to believe” standard of proof was met, namely where, based on a body of verified information, an ordinarily prudent observer would have reasonable grounds to believe that the casualty took place as described.

ENDS

Ukrainian and Russian language versions of this update as they become available, please visit this page.