In just 10 days, from 29 December to 8 January, numerous individuals throughout the nation were either fatally injured or wounded due to drone and missile attacks.

“According to Danielle Bell, the leader of the monitoring team, there was a consistent decline in civilian casualties in 2023. However, this trend was abruptly disrupted by a series of attacks in late December and early January.”

‘Alarming reversal’ 

HRMMU confirmed that there was a 26.5% rise in civilian casualties in the previous month, with at least 592 deaths or injuries reported. This marks a concerning shift from the declining trend seen earlier in 2023.

The reported increase may be even greater due to the fact that not all casualty reports have been confirmed.

The significant amount of non-military individuals who were harmed in December has carried over into the beginning of January. HRMMU is currently confirming accounts of 86 fatalities and 416 wounded.

Populated areas hit 

On 29 December, a series of assaults began involving missiles and drones that targeted various cities and towns in Ukraine.

On that day and on January 2nd, the most severe attacks resulted in the highest number of civilian casualties. However, fatalities have persisted since then.

The HRMMU provided instances of the 6 January strike on Pokrovsk, a small town, and Rivne village, which are situated close to the frontlines in the eastern region.

Two households consisting of six adults and five children were trapped under debris when their residences were hit. Despite several days of searching and recovering, some of the individuals’ remains have not been found.

Two days after the initial attack in Novomoskovsk, another incident occurred in the eastern part of the country. A Russian missile strike caused a blast wave that harmed 31 civilians, including eight individuals riding on a minibus during their morning commute. The minibus was completely destroyed in the explosion.

Humanitarian appeal 

In the upcoming month, it will be two years since Russia initiated a complete invasion of Ukraine. This has resulted in 14.6 million people, which is 40% of the population, requiring humanitarian aid.

Over four million individuals are displaced within their own country, and 6.3 million have fled to neighboring nations for shelter.

The UN has initiated a plea for $4.2 million in funds to aid humanitarian efforts for the current year.

The UN News is the source.

The source is UN News from the United Nations.