UN Denounces 'Horrific Toll' on Civilians as War in Ukraine Reaches 500-Day Mark

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Facts

  • As the Russia-Ukraine war entered its 500th day on Saturday, the UN's Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) denounced what it described as "the horrendous civilian cost of the war in Ukraine."1
  • While warning that real numbers are likely to be much higher, the agency said it was able to confirm the deaths of more than 9K civilians — including over 500 children — since Russia invaded more than 16 months ago.1
  • "Today we mark another grim milestone in the war that continues to exact a horrific toll on Ukraine's civilians," said Noel Calhoun, the deputy head of HRMMU.1
  • Meanwhile, Ukraine's Office for Prosecutor General released its own numbers to mark the 500-day point. According to its figures, over 10.5K Ukrainian civilians were killed, with about 500 of those being children, it said. It further alleged that Russia has committed 94K war crimes while claiming that 115K civilian buildings were destroyed.2
  • This comes as the Biden admin. confirmed on Friday that a new $800M military aid package to Ukraine will include cluster munitions — weapons that are widely banned because of the damage they can inflict on civilians. The move was widely criticized, including from inside Biden's own party.3
  • In an interview with CNN on Friday, Biden defended the move, describing it as "very difficult decision." He said it had taken him "a while to be convinced to do it," but he said he acted because "the Ukrainians are running out of ammunition." Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy hailed the move as "timely" and said it would help "bring Ukraine closer to victory over the enemy."4

Sources: 1Ukraine, 2UKRINFORM, 3Guardian, and 4BBC News.

Narratives

  • Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by BBC News. This was a very difficult decision for the Biden admin. However, due to the high rate of artillery shells being fired, Ukraine is running out of ammunition. It cannot be left defenseless to face Russia's aggression. This is a necessary move until the US can plug the gap in supplies.
  • Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by The Hill. This was a terrible mistake from Biden and his team. Cluster munitions inflict massive destruction on civilians and, if its "bomblets" don't immediately explode, can remain a threat to a population for decades. This move will only ensure that more civilians will die in Ukraine and the US will be to blame.
  • Pro-Russia narrative, as provided by TASS. This move simply underscores how desperate the US is. Rather than acknowledge that Ukraine's offensive is failing, it's doubling down on its plans with dangerous ideas — provocations that draw the world even nearer to a global conflict.

Predictions