The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk warned of a “dangerous escalation“ of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and called on both sides to return to a negotiation process, reports Agence France-Presse, quoted by BTA.
“I call categorically for restraint. Resume negotiations and end the suffering“, he said in an official statement. Turk noted that the number of civilian casualties in the first four months of the year reached 815 people, an increase of 21% compared to the same period the previous year.
The statement comes days after one of the deadliest Russian attacks on Kiev since the start of the 2022 war, in which 24 people died in a strike on a residential building on the night of May 14.
“International humanitarian law requires parties to the conflict to take all possible measures to protect the civilian population”, Turk stressed, adding that these are legally binding obligations, not just recommendations.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights also cited a Ukrainian attack on a vocational school dormitory in Starobelsk, in the Russian-controlled Luhansk region, in which, according to Russian authorities, 21 people were killed and 44 were injured. wounded.
The agency said verified public information indicated that the facility was in operation at the time of the strike and that civilians, including schoolchildren, were among the victims.
Turk called on both Ukrainian and Russian authorities to conduct “prompt, independent and effective investigations“ and bring those responsible to justice.