Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict — December 2023

Summary

• HRMMU verified that at least 592 civilians were killed or injured in Ukraine in December 2023. This constitutes a 26.5 per cent increase in verified civilian casualties compared with the previous month. The number of reported civilian casualties, some of which are still pending verification, suggest that the increase was even higher. The increase in civilian casualties in December breaks a trend of decreasing numbers of civilian casualties in 2023.

• The December increase in civilian casualties was mainly due to intensified missile and loitering munitions attacks by Russian armed forces across Ukraine on 29 and 30 December. Attacks with these types of weapons accounted for 34 per cent of civilian casualties in December compared with 16 per cent in November.

• Most civilian casualties (84 per cent) and damage to educational and health facilities (92 per cent) continued to occur in Government-controlled territory.