The number of civilian casualties in Ukraine is many thousands higher than statistics, Matilda Bogner, head of the UN team, told a briefing in Geneva on Tuesday

UN: Thousands more Ukrainian civilian casualties than official statistics

The number of civilian casualties in Ukraine is many thousands higher than the statistics, Matilda Bogner, head of the UN team monitoring the human rights situation in Ukraine during the war, told a briefing in Geneva on Tuesday.

Currently, 3,381 civilians are believed to have died since the start of the war, but Bogner is convinced that the death toll is much higher. Many die not only from the fighting, but also from a lack of medical care, according to  bbc.com

Bogner said her group had information about murders, rapes and abductions in 14 localities in Kyiv and Chernihiv regions. “Women and girls are most among the victims,” she said.

She said all the episodes identified could amount to war crimes.

The UN has documented 204 cases of disappearances of civilians in the occupied territories since the start of the war.

In a briefing on Tuesday, Matilde Bogner also drew attention to cases of violence against prisoners by the Ukrainian military.

“We have received reliable information about torture, ill-treatment and incommunicado detention of Russian prisoners of war by the Ukrainian armed forces and pro-Ukrainian armed formations,” she said.

Matilda Bogner called on the Russian and Ukrainian authorities and commanders to immediately investigate all violations of international human rights law and stop further crimes.