Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict — April 2024

Summary 

The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) documented a continued high level of civilian casualties due to intense hostilities near the frontline in April, while Russian armed forces also launched coordinated large-scale attacks on energy infrastructure, which threatened Ukraine’s power and transportation systems. 

At least 129 civilians were killed and 574 were injured in Ukraine in April 2024. While April saw a slight increase in the number of killed compared with the previous month, the number of injured civilians increased significantly for the second month in a row. 

Targeted attacks against energy-related infrastructure – which started in March – continued in April, destroying or damaging power generation plants and electricity substations and temporarily disrupting access to electricity, gas and water. In April, HRMMU documented 34 attacks on energy infrastructure facilities in Government-controlled territory and 13 incidents in territory occupied by the Russian Federation, including three related to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. 

Most civilian casualties (89 per cent), and damage to educational and health facilities (86 per cent) continued to occur in Government-controlled territory.