UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Turk: The war in Ukraine is a human rights disaster

Turk spoke at the session on Ukraine held within the scope of the 63rd Session of the UN Human Rights Council.

Stating that the Russia-Ukraine War, which started in February 2022, continues to grow, Türk pointed out that this war is a human rights disaster that causes indescribable suffering to civilians and carries the risk of triggering a much greater disaster in the entire region.

Turk said, "Immediate action is needed within the framework of the UN Charter and international law to end this war." he said.

Pointing to the report published by the UN Human Rights Office on the ongoing war, Türk said, "The report we prepared recently identified shocking cases of sexual violence against civilians and prisoners of war. Of the more than a thousand cases documented by my office, 89 percent were attributed to the Russian authorities and 11 percent were attributed to the Ukrainian side." he said.

"We have confirmed that approximately 15,280 civilians were killed or injured in the first 8 months of this year."

Emphasizing that people throughout Ukraine live in constant fear and anxiety, Türk said, "We have confirmed that approximately 15 thousand 280 civilians were killed or injured in the first 8 months of this year. This corresponds to an average of more than 400 people per week for 34 weeks. This number is 55 percent more than in the same period of 2025." he said.

Türk noted that it was reported that there was an increase in the number of civilian casualties in Russia, and stated that Russian authorities announced that 3 people died and 41 people were injured in a large-scale missile and drone attack on Moscow on the night of September 20, but they could not confirm this because they did not have access permission.

Stating that it is vital to regain momentum for negotiations to end the war, Türk emphasized that this process requires confidence-building measures that can reduce the impact of conflicts on civilians and be shaped on the basis of human rights.