Flowers offered as memorial for the civilian victims are seen at what remains of a shopping mall targeted by a missile strike in Kremenchuk. Photo: Narciso Contreras/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
More than 10,000 civilians have been injured or killed since Russia invaded Ukraine in February, according to new figures the United Nations shared Wednesday.
Driving the news: The recorded figures include 4,731 deaths through June 27, but the true toll is likely far higher, said Matilda Bogner, head of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, the Washington Post reported.
The big picture: The UN Human Rights Office on Wednesday released a new report documenting independently verified civilian casualties from Feb. 24 through May 15.
- Investigators found "a grave deterioration of the human rights situation in the country," the report states.
Catch up fast: The report comes on the heels of a high-profile attack on a civilian site that left scores injured and dead earlier this week. A missile strike hit a mall in Kremenchuk when an estimated 1,000 civilians were inside, killing at least 18 people. With dozens still missing, the toll is expected to rise.
- Western and Ukrainian officials have said Russia fired the missile. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on the UN to conduct an independent investigation to confirm Russia's responsibility for the strike after Moscow denied targeting the mall.
- Human Rights Watch on Thursday called for the attack to be investigated as a "potential war crime."
What they're saying: "The daily killing of civilians, the torture, disappearances and other violations must stop," Bogner said, per the Post.
- "If the hostilities will not stop, then the absolute minimum required is to fully respect international humanitarian and human rights law and commit to protecting every civilian woman, man and child."
Go deeper: Live updates: Russian invasion of Ukraine