The UN high commissioner for human rights, Volker Türk, has called for an immediate end to the daily killings and destruction in Ukraine after the deadly weekend attacks.
Mr Türk made the call in a statement on Monday following a weekend of deadly attacks that left at least 14 civilians – including three children – dead and dozens more injured across the country.
The majority of those killed and injured were in major cities such as Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Mykolaiv, or in populated areas in other regions.
Meanwhile, large numbers of long-range drones launched into Russia by Ukrainian armed forces injured at least 11 civilians over the weekend, according to Russian authorities.
Mr Türk, however, underscored the urgency for an end to hostilities.
“It is time to put an end to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, to commit to – and implement – a comprehensive ceasefire that stops the daily killing and destruction, and to start genuine peace negotiations, built on respect for international law,” he said.
He highlighted that – even amid ongoing hostilities – people deprived of their liberty must be protected.
According to him, summary executions, torture and all forms of inhumane and degrading treatment of prisoners are always prohibited, in any circumstances, and must stop immediately.
In addition, civilian detainees should be released as soon as the lawful reason for their detention ceases to exist and their protection against refoulement must be ensured, he said.
The UN official welcomed the recent exchange of prisoners of war and civilian detainees.
Eight hundred eighty prisoners of war and 120 civilians from each side were exchanged. Most of the civilians appeared to have been detainees, but details on individuals included in the exchange are not available.
“Many families can now breathe a sigh of relief because their loved ones have finally returned home. At the same time, other families have lost relatives and their homes, as their communities across Ukraine came under attack,” Mr Türk said.
In a separate statement, UNICEF expressed deep concern for the impact of the latest attacks on Ukrainian children.
