“Unimaginable Horror”: UN Human Rights Chief Comments on Russian Attack on Khryvyi Rih During Visit

The United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) visited the site of a Russian missile strike in Kryvyi Rih, Dnipropetrovsk region, which resulted in the deaths of 19 civilians, including nine children.

The attack, carried out on April 4, was described by the UN as the deadliest single strike against children since the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022.

According to a statement published by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on April 6, the mission documented extensive damage at the site, including shrapnel impacts on residential buildings, playground equipment, trees, and surrounding areas. The names of all deceased children were verified and recorded.

“It’s an unimaginable horror — nine children killed, most while playing in a park, as a military weapon exploded into shrapnel above them,” said the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk. “A single explosion ended 18 lives on a warm Friday evening in Kryvyi Rih, as families gathered near a playground, a restaurant and residential buildings.”

“The use of an explosive weapon with wide area effects by the Russian Federation in a densely populated area — and without any apparent military presence — demonstrates a reckless disregard for civilian life,” Türk added.

The OHCHR also noted that, while the Russian authorities claimed the target was a group of military personnel, local residents, a business association representative, and restaurant staff reported that a beauty industry forum was taking place in the area at the time of the strike.

Dozens of men and women were attending the event, which had been publicly advertised online in advance. Witnesses confirmed there were no military personnel in or around the restaurant during the attack.

“The laws of armed war require parties to distinguish between military objectives and civilians and to use means and methods of warfare that minimize harm to civilian populations,” Türk said.

“It also requires the parties to take all feasible precautions to minimize harm to civilians, including by verifying that the objects targeted are not civilian but military objectives, and choosing tactics and weapons that would avoid or at the very least minimize incidental loss of civilian life.”

The UN stated that it continues to collect and verify information on additional casualties and circumstances surrounding the incident.

The High Commissioner called for a prompt, independent, and comprehensive investigation into the attack. He also noted that indiscriminate attacks are prohibited under international humanitarian law, and if they amount to attacks directed against civilians may constitute war crimes.

Earlier, on April 4, a Russian ballistic missile and drone strike hit a residential area in Kryvyi Rih, killing 19 people, including 9 children. According to local authorities, dozens remain hospitalized, with several—among them two children—in critical condition.

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