Ukraine: civilian casualty update 24 September 2023

Date:25 September 2023 ¹

Civilian casualties from 1 to 24 September 2023

From 1 to 24 September 2023, Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) recorded 554 civilian casualties in Ukraine:

• 111 killed (64 men, 40 women, 1 girl, as well as 6 adults whose sex is not yet known), and
• 443 injured (207 men, 138 women, 12 boys, 3 girls, as well as 83 adults whose sex is not yet known).

This included:

• 97 killed and 363 injured in 109 settlements in territory controlled by the Government when casualties occurred (83 percent of the total), and
• 14 killed and 80 injured in 14 settlements in territory occupied by the Russian Federation when casualties occurred (17 percent of the total).

Per type of weapon/incident:

• Explosive weapons with wide area effects: 107 killed and 414 injured (94 per cent):
• 432 casualties (93 killed and 339 injured) in territory controlled by the Government when casualties occurred, and
• 89 casualties (14 killed and 75 injured) in territory occupied by the Russian Federation when casualties occurred.
• Mines and explosive remnants of war: 4 killed and 29 injured (6 per cent):
  • 28 casualties (4 killed and 24 injured) in territory controlled by the Government when casualties occurred, and
  • 5 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 24 September 2023, OHCHR recorded 27,449 civilian casualties in the country: 9,701 killed and 17,748 injured. This included:

• 22,188 casualties (7,550 killed and 14,638 injured) in territory controlled by the Government when casualties occurred:
• In Donetsk and Luhansk regions: 10,611 casualties (4,287 killed and 6,324 injured); and
• In other regions²: 11,577 casualties (3,263 killed and 8,314 injured).
• 5,261 casualties (2,151 killed and 3,110 injured) in territory occupied by the Russian Federation when casualties occurred:
• In Donetsk and Luhansk regions: 3,620 casualties (805 killed and 2,815 injured); and
• In other regions³: 1,641 casualties (1,346 killed and 295 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.