The number of civilian casualties as a result of Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is “likely far higher” than experts believe, according to a senior UK official.
The United Nations has claimed that more than 30,000 non-combatants have either been killed or injured since the conflict began nearly three years ago.
But Neil Holland, the UK’s ambassador to the OSCE – Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe – said: “These are a conservative estimate. The true figure is likely far higher.”
The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) did have a slightly higher total in December when it claimed 12,340 civilians had been killed and more than 27,836 injured in Ukraine.
That stat comes on top of the casualties estimated from both the Ukrainian forces and the Russian forces.
Kyiv confirmed in December that it has 43,000 soldiers killed in action and 370,000 more wounded.
Russia does not usually reveal its own casualties.
However, an independent tally by the BBC’s Russian service and Mediazone news website suggested more than 90,000 Russian troops have been killed during the war.
But, again, that is believed that to be a conservative estimate.
Speaking to the OSCE in Vienna on Thursday, ambassador Hammond said Putin’s war was “indefensible”.
He also claimed Moscow’s actions have been inconsistent with Russia’s international commitments, including under the UN Charter, the Geneva Conventions and the Helsinki Final Act.
The ambassador pointed out how Russia launched 13 wide-scale missile attacks against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in 2024, and how this threatened civilian access to power, water and heating – as well as endangering nuclear power plants.
Hammond added: “The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine concluded that these attacks on energy infrastructure constituted the war crime of excessive incidental civilian harm and potentially a crime against humanity.”
