Over the two years of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the UN has verified 10,582 civilians killed and 19,875 wounded. However, the actual number of casualties is much higher.
"Russia's invasion of Ukraine has led to a terrible loss of human life, causing unimaginable suffering to millions of civilians," UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said on 22 February, as reported by Radio Liberty.
"Russia's large-scale armed attack on Ukraine, which will soon enter its third year and has no end in sight, continues to cause serious and widespread human rights violations, destroying lives and livelihoods," he said.
In its latest report, the UN Human Rights Mission in Ukraine has verified 30,457 civilian casualties since 24 February 2022: 10,582 killed and 19,875 injured.
"It is likely that the actual number of civilian casualties is much higher, and the long-term impact of this war in Ukraine will be felt for generations," the mission said.
The UN noted that over the past two years, the organisation has documented widespread cases of torture, ill-treatment and arbitrary detention of civilians by the Russian armed forces.
Cases of extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances and suppression of the right to freedom of expression and assembly have also been documented in the occupied territory.
The High Commissioner for Human Rights called for a thorough and independent investigation into all violations of human rights and international humanitarian law and reiterated his call on Russia to immediately cease all hostilities.
Meanwhile, the UN migration agency said on 22 February that more than 14.6 million people, or 40 per cent of Ukraine's population, are dependent on some form of humanitarian assistance this year, and millions of Ukrainian refugees abroad are also in need of help.
The Geneva-based International Organisation for Migration (IOM) estimates that there are currently 2.2 million refugees in Ukraine's neighbouring countries and around 6.5 million refugees worldwide.
Around 3.7 million people have been displaced within Ukraine, with families still separated and children left homeless.