UN human rights mission responds to Russian airstrike on Zaporizhzhia

08.12.2024 06:47

Ukrinform

Russia's December 6 deadly attack with aerial glide bombs in Zaporizhzhia city highlights the risk to civilians from the use of these weapons in populated areas, raising concerns under international humanitarian law.

The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) said this in a statement on December 7, Ukrinform reports.

"Yesterday's [December 6] attack in Zaporizhzhia is a clear example of why weapons with large amounts of explosive material should not be used in populated areas. When they are, they will cause civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure," said Danielle Bell, Head of HRMMU.

The statement indicates that aerial bombs usually carry large amounts of explosive material, making them highly destructive.

The HRMMU estimated that from September to November, aerial bombs killed 108 civilians and injured 755 in Ukraine, accounting for 25 per cent of all civilian casualties in the period. For example, on November 7, aerial glide bombs struck several residential areas in Zaporizhzhia city, killing at least nine civilians and injuring 42. One bomb struck an apartment building. Another bomb hit an oncology center where cancer patients were undergoing chemotherapy at the time, causing severe damage to the facility and injuries to staff and patients. The number of civilian casualties from aerial bombs has significantly increased compared with last year.

According to HRMMU's verified data, aerial bombs killed 341 civilians and injured 1,803 from January 1 through November 30, 2024, a threefold increase in fatalities and a sixfold increase in injuries from aerial bombs compared to 2023. The increase in the number of civilian casualties from such weapons in 2024 is the result of modifications that make aerial bombs glide instead of falling which extends their range.

"The glider modifications have allowed Russian armed forces to use powerful aerial bombs in cities previously unreachable with such weapons. As a result, civilians in major Ukrainian cities, such as Kharkiv, Sumy, and Zaporizhzhia, now face unprecedented threats, with highly destructive consequences," Bell said.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, ten people were killed and 27 injured in a Russian airstrike on Zaporizhzhia late on December 6.