Ukraine’s Foremost UN Aid Official Condemns the Fatal Marketplace Attack in Kherson

Matthias Schmale, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine, has sharply denounced a lethal Russian strike in Kherson on Tuesday morning. At least five people died and dozens were injured in the attack, which happened as people were starting their day at a crowded marketplace in the city. This event emphasizes the continuing catastrophe that those caught in the middle of the war—now in their 30th month—face.

In a statement, Schmale voiced indignation at the ongoing attacks on people, pointing out that this strike once more emphasizes the contempt of civilian life. Particularly in metropolitan locations where many people meet for daily activities, he underlined the need of safeguarding non-combatants during wars. He further noted that the strike severely disrupted a neighboring public transportation station as well as the market.

Attacks against citizens must stop

Countless people have been killed or maimed in attacks aiming at markets, schools, and hospitals since the Russian invasion of Ukraine started on February 24, 2022. Schmale underlined that these strikes on civilian infrastructure violate international humanitarian law exactly and are unambiguous violations of it. He demanded an instant stop to these illegal activities and underlined once more that all sides engaged in the conflict should give safeguarding of civilians first importance.

The civilian population has suffered greatly during the war; thousands of people have died while just going about their everyday business. Attacks on non-military targets persist despite repeated denunciation by the international community, aggravating the humanitarian situation in Ukraine.

Clear Increase in Civilian Deaths

Between June and August of this year, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has revealed a startling increase in civilian casualties in Ukraine. The report states that over this period, 2,685 people were injured and 589 people were killed, a 45% rise over the three months before. With at least 43 individuals murdered on only one July alone in a major coordinated missile strike by Russian forces, July 2024 was declared as the worst month for civilians since October 2022.

With 98% of the deaths resulting from explosive weapons deployed in highly populated areas, most of the casualties were the outcome of such weapons. While a minor fraction of the deaths and injuries were recorded in Russian-occupied areas, most of the casualties happened in territory held by the Ukrainian government.

Targeting of Important Infrastructure

Apart from the direct attacks on people, Russia has kept targeting Ukraine’s vital infrastructure, further aggravating the humanitarian situation. Particularly as winter sets in, energy facilities—which offer basic services—have been frequently under attack. The destruction of electricity infrastructure aggravates the already difficult situation the people live in by leaving millions of Ukrainians susceptible to the approaching winter months.

Kursk Incursion and Civilian Casualties

A major turn in the conflict, the OHCHR also covered Ukraine’s entry into Russia’s Kursk territory on August 6. The UN asked Russia to help to provide access so that more information could be gathered, even if specifics of the casualties remain unknown due to restricted access and public information. But as of August, this task has not been approved.

Civilians continue to die in the continuous battle as both sides launch military operations. As of August 31, 2024, over 11,743 people had been killed and more than 24,614 injured since the start of the war, according to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMUs). As military operations get more intense and attacks against infrastructure and cities continue, these figures should climb.

Forced Resolutions and Ongoing Attacks

Ukrainian officials have been obliged to evacuate thousands of people from locations close to the battle lines as Russian soldiers advance with their military operations. Constant shelling of cities such Sumy, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhzhia has caused great damage to civilian property and infrastructure including hospitals, schools, and even senior care homes.

Attacks have persisted in several areas despite these evacuations; cities like Kherson have seen constant strikes that demolish not only physical buildings but also the means of subsistence for the people. The main focus still is on Ukraine’s electricity infrastructure since it raises questions over the country’s capacity to keep necessary services running during the winter.

Treatment as a Prisoner of War

The paper also draws attention to how both sides treat POWs. Under the direction of Russian authorities, Ukrainian POWs have suffered extensive and methodically cruel treatment. Stories of severe beatings, electric shocks, suffocation, and other kinds of torture abound from hundreds of interviews. With 68% of the POWs questioned reporting such experiences, HRMMU Chief Daniel Bell claims these crimes also included sexual violence and demeaning treatment.

Although they were apparently aware of these tactics, supervisors in Russian detention institutions allegedly did nothing to stop them. Public personalities in Russia have also been charged with supporting cruel treatment; some have even advocated the murder of Ukrainian POWs on government-owned media.

Russian POWs suffered torture and ill-treatment on the Ukrainian side during their first terms of detention. They claimed brutal beatings, death threats, and—in some cases— electric shocks. Once Russian POWs were sent to official incarceration camps, the report states, circumstances usually followed international norms and maltreatment stopped.

Presentation of UN Reports

On October 8, Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, is supposed to deliver this thorough report to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. The results of the investigation will draw more attention to the continuous transgression of international law concerning civilian attacks as well as POW treatment. International efforts to solve humanitarian issues remain of great relevance even if the violence in Ukraine shows no signs of stopping.

The UN’s demand for a stop to assaults on civilians reminds all parties of the imperative of following international humanitarian law in face of ongoing violence and growing casualties. The security of people has to be given first priority as the war moves into its thirtieth month to stop more innocent deaths.