The United Nations estimates that about 13,000 civilians have been killed since the start of the war in Ukraine, UN emergency relief coordinator Tom Fletcher told the Security Council on Tuesday.
According to data from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), at least 12,910 civilian deaths in Ukraine – including 682 children – have been confirmed, and nearly 30,700 were injured between February 24, 2022 and March 31, 2025.
Fletcher added that the true toll is likely to be far greater.
More than 170 civilians were reported killed between the end of February and the end of March alone.
Russian strikes continue to claim civilian lives, most recently in the industrial city of Kryvyi Rih, where missiles hit a playground.
Fletcher emphasized that international law is being eroded in Ukraine and other conflicts worldwide.
“Not only are we not standing robustly for international law, but in some cases, we are supporting its debasement,” Fletcher asserted. “That’s the common thread that links these conflicts. And if your principles apply only to your opponents, then they are not humanitarian principles.”