Human cost of war in Ukraine: Over 8000 civilian deaths, millions in refuge

New Delhi: The year-long war in Ukraine has come at the expense of over 8000 civilian lives, including more than 400 children, according to a report by a UN agency. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on 28 February said that 8,006 civilians, including 488 children had lost their lives in the war that started on 24 February 2022. 13,479 people have been reportedly injured. Real numbers could be higher, however, according to the agency. The most number of civilian causalities for a month were reported in March 2022, just weeks into the war, with 3,918 deaths. According to UNHCR, almost 8 million people have fled Ukraine and taken refuge in neighbouring countries due to the war. Additionally, 6 million people have been left internally displaced within Ukraine. The war in Ukraine, which started with the Russian invasion on 24 February, 2022, has seen attacks on civilian targets like apartment buildings, parks and public places. Loss of property In December, 2022, the Kyiv School of Economics had reported that infrastructure worth almost $136 billion had been damaged in the war till November. The most damaged was caused to energy infrastructure, industry, and public and private enterprises. Housing alone had suffered a damage of around $52.5 billion – 36 per cent of the total damage. Stalemate on the ground, shelling on civilians After the initial success on the ground, Russia’s invasion soon turned into a stalemate in last summer. This was followed by a Ukrainian counteroffensive starting in July which saw Ukrainian forces recapture the eastern Kharkiv region and the southern town of Kherson. In October last year an explosion occured on the Kerch Bridge in Crimea – the only bridge between mainland Russia and Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014. Russia blamed Ukraine for the explosion. After the explosion Russia began a series of shelling of Ukrainian cities, including the heart of capital Ukraine, to break down the morale of Ukrainian people and force them into pressuring their government to sue for peace. Read all the Latest News , Trending News , Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.