UN Commissioner Expresses Strong Condemnation of Recent Wave of Attacks Targeting Ukraine

Geneva, Oct 8 (KUNA) -- UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk expressed his strong condemnation on Thursday of a wave of attacks that have killed and injured dozens of civilians across Ukraine over the past four days. In a statement issued from Geneva, Türk described a strike as “horrific,” which targeted two public buses in the city of Kramatorsk and resulted in the deaths of at least 30 civilians, according to local authorities. He noted that “at least 85 civilians have been killed and 346 others injured in Russian strikes since Monday,” adding that “the attacks targeted people in buses, homes, and workplaces in various parts of Ukraine.” He further stated that “long-range Russian strikes on electrical substations and power generation facilities have caused power outages in wide areas of Ukraine, which is already facing emergency and repeated blackouts as it prepares for dropping temperatures.” In the same vein, Türk also expressed deep concern over reports of Ukrainian attacks that killed and injured civilians inside Russia. The UN official stressed that civilians are strictly protected under international humanitarian law and must not be targeted, calling on the parties to the conflict to take all necessary measures to protect the civilian population. Türk emphasized the “need to investigate alleged violations and hold those responsible accountable,” stressing that deliberate attacks on civilians could amount to war crimes. (End) A.M.Kh./M.M.J.