The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner (OHCHR) for Human Rights expressed that it is "gravely concerned" about the increasing number of deaths and suffering in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, calling an "immediate end" to the war in Eastern Europe.
OHCHR Spokesperson Liz Throssell said in a statement that Russian forces use "explosive weapons with wide-area effects" like rockets, missiles, and airstrikes within populated areas resulting in death and injuries among civilians per CNN.
Since the war began more than two weeks ago, the OHCHR recorded 549 civilian deaths and 957 injuries, with hundreds of hospitals and schools destroyed. Russian airstrikes destroyed two schools and many apartment blocks in Chernihiv on March 3, killing 47 civilians.
While a Russian airstrike destroyed a Mariupol hospital on March 9, hurting at least 17 civilians, she stated."Civilian casualties are rising daily, as is general human suffering. We remind the Russian authorities that directing attacks against civilians and civilian objects, as well as so-called area bombardment in towns and villages and other forms of indiscriminate attacks, are prohibited under international law and may amount to war crimes," Throssell said in a statement published on its website.
The OHCHR spokesperson also noted her concerns on reported "arbitrary arrests and detention" of Ukrainians who spoke and held peaceful protests against Russia's aggression on their country.
Russian Forces Mercilessly Attack Ukrainians
Kharkiv mayor describes "merciless shelling" and freezing conditionsKharkiv City Mayor Ihor Terekhov said that civilians are suffering from freezing temperatures in "all 16 days of the war the Russian army has been mercilessly shelling Kharkiv with airstrikes.
"But we are holding up, and we will win," he said. There were also several apartment blocks wrecked, and heating systems of more than 400 houses were damaged. He added that a lot of apartment blocks have been destroyed and that the heating system cannot be restored in more than 400 houses.
The mayor urged those affected residents to move to "metro stations, shelter, schools, and kindergartens" for heating.
According to the State Emergency Service, a residential home for the disabled near Izium was damaged by an airstrike. There were no reported injuries among the 30 employees and 300 patients, most of whom are elderly.
Russia Accused of Nuclear Terrorism
The attack is thought to have occurred at the city's Institute of Physics and Technology in a new assault following weeks of bombardment in the area. The explosion sparked large flames in the air at the building, according to dramatic footage published online.
According to the Ukrainian Parliament, the incident also set a fire at a neighboring hostel, which firefighters eventually put out.
According to Anton Gerashchenko, a Ukrainian Interior Ministry consultant, a projectile hit a facility containing equipment that, if destroyed, may spew radioactive radiation.
The President's office, on the other hand, claims that background radiation has remained unchanged. According to a tweet from the parliament's official website, though fighting near the Institute of Physics and Technology is still ongoing.
Ukraine's Centre for Strategic Communications and Information Security tweeted: "In Kharkiv, eyewitnesses report a fire in the Kharkiv Institute of Physics and Technology building.
The institution mentioned in its tweet that the building houses "an equipment" that "can lead to radioactive pollution of the environment" if it sustains damage.
A Ukrainian media reported that the fire broke at around 8:20 pm as air raid sirens were heard around the city. According to news site Pravda.com.ua., civilians reported the "sounds of explosions" and gunfire.
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