“Thousands of Ukrainian civilians have been killed by Russian forces in Mariupol since the war began but the “true scale” of atrocities has yet to be fully uncovered, the UN Human Rights High Commissioner warned Thursday.
“I am shocked at the scale of the destruction, and the numerous violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law that have reportedly been committed in the city,” High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet said in reference to the southern Ukrainian port city during a special session.
“We estimate the civilian death toll in Mariupol to lie in the thousands, while only with time will the true scale of atrocities, casualties and damage become clear,” she added.
FILE PHOTO: A view shows graves of civilians killed during Ukraine-Russia conflict in the southern port city of Mariupol, Ukraine April 19, 2022. (REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko/File Photo)
UN SAYS PEACE DEAL BETWEEN RUSSIA AND UKRAINE UNLIKELY
Mariupol’s mayor alleged in mid-April that an estimated 21,000 civilians had been killed in the port city amid Russia’s invasion. But the UN has not been able to validate these figures.
On Thursday the UN reported that there has been at 7,326 civilian casualties with 3,541 killed and 3,785 injured across Ukraine.
But the top intergovernmental body has repeatedly warned these figures are likely significantly higher.
Bachelet said the “vast majority” of civilian causalities have been caused by Russia’s insistent use of explosive weapons like heavy artillery, multiple launch rocket systems, missiles and air strikes.
“While such incidents can be attributed to both parties to the conflict, most of these casualties appear attributable to the Russian armed forces and affiliated armed groups,” she added.”
Leaving aside the rather dubious account of Mariupol’s mayor the UN is recording 3,500 civilian deaths across Ukraine. Considering the intensity of this war and the criminally irresponsible use of human shields by the Ukrainian government (reported by the US’ DIA commenting on the placing of heavy artillery in Kyiv’s residential areas, to name only one city) this is remarkably low.
By comparison the civilian death toll in the first week of Op Iraqi Freedom was conservatively recorded as 7,300. Just the “Thunder Run” into Baghdad left hundreds slaughtered along the airport road in one morning. Then there was day upon day in which Iraqis who were approaching checkpoints were simply machine gunned. I was almost part of that count myself. A colleague quoted an infantry SGT as saying, “I’ve given orders to kill anything that comes down that road.” The road was littered with blown up civilian cars, with most of the occupants incinerated in the fires or gunned down as they tried to flee.
Elsewhere in the internet there are numerous videos of a Quebecoise sniper and his spotter who freely admit to using high rise apartment blocks as vantage points to snipe at Russians. Imagine their surprise when Russian tanks retaliate.
The faux outrage by Ukraine over Russian tactics against civilian targets used for such purposes is amusing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zN2NdiFJFh0
There is also a charming vignette about what happens to two Ukrainian soldiers who decide to stretch their legs within distant sight of Russian tanks. if you have ever looked through a tank main gunsight you know this was a bad idea.
As for the UN, they served up BS in Syria, why should we believe a word they say?
We killed 10,000 civilians in Mosul with air and artillery strikes. The Iraqi security forces would call one in once they started taking fire from a building. A machine gun in a window, hit it with a 500lb PGM, or call in artillery. If much of the building collapses, killing civilians inside, well that was not the intention. We bombed tarp covered areas absent visible fighters. Civilians covered their roofs with tarp to reduce heat.
Do the Russians get a pass as long as they were trying to hit a military target or is that something we only give to ourselves and our allies?
CJC
It was standard practice in WW2 under the doctrine of Strategic Bombing (much loved by the bomber people) to try to bomb civilian population into national surrender. I have always considered this mass murder. All countries did it. Lemay killed 100k Jap civilians in Tokyo in one night.