“At least six civilians were killed, including two children and over 30 people injured” due to missile and drone attacks, underscored the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMM) in a social media post.
Monitors said they had visited one kindergarten which had been seriously damaged during drone strikes in the eastern city of Kharkiv – close to the Russian border – noting that all 50 children had been safely evacuated.
‘Serious danger’
“This incident is a testament to the ongoing attacks using long-range weaponry that targets residential areas, including educational institutions, putting the civilian population in serious danger,” the HRMM posted on X.
Ukraine’s Ministry of Energy reported that the attacks damaged infrastructure across the country, causing emergency blackouts in many regions. Power and water supplies were disrupted, while national railway services faced delays due to damaged lines.
As the UN and its partners continue delivering aid to war-weary communities on the ground, OCHA reiterated a crucial message: civilians must never be targets.
Frontline aid
Deputy UN Spokesperson Farhan Haq told correspondents in New York on Wednesday that an inter-agency humanitarian convoy had successfully reached Urozhaine, a frontline community routinely impacted by shelling and drone attacks.
“We, along with our partners, delivered 11 metric tonnes of assistance for some 1,000 residents, including food, hygiene and dignity kits, warm blankets, solar lamps, and medical supplies”, he highlighted.
“This was the 24th humanitarian convoy to hard-hit areas of the Kherson region this year”.
Although operations continue, UN humanitarians face growing challenges following the incident on Tuesday last week in which a UN convoy of four aid trucks came under attack by Russian forces, a stark reminder of the risks faced by those delivering life-saving assistance on the frontlines.
“Of course, it’s shocking,” said the top aid coordinator in the Ukraine, Andrea de Domenico, speaking to UN News on Tuesday, noting that it was the first direct attack on a humanitarian convoy.
“After it happened, I said to the team that this is one of the risks that we have to deal with. Our UN security colleagues worked excellently with us and were very effective in protecting the life of those involved in that mission.
“It takes a lot of determination, courage and motivation to keep on doing it, but that’s what it is, to be involved in humanitarian operations in a war zone.”