There has been heavy bombing, shelling and clashes all over Ukraine. In such conditions it is very hard to indentify the exact number of civilian casualties.

According to UN OCHA, between February 24th and 28th the civilian victims were 550 (124 deads). Most of victims are due to the use of explosive weapons in populated areas, particularly in the cities of Volnovakha, Mariupol, Chernihiv, Kharkiv and Kyiv, where massive use of heavy artillery and multiple lauch rocket systems are reported.

Besides UN, reported figures change according to the source, as following:
- Ukraine’s interior ministry has reported 352 civilian deaths in February 2022
- Action on Armed Violence has recorded 204 victims for explosive weapons only in February 2022

A clear pattern of harm has loomed, with 94% of total victims being civilians living in populated areas. Some accident seem to be cause by illegal use of cluster munitions.

The impact of war on vital infrastructure is getting worse day by day. In Donetsk and Horlivka 400,000 people are affected by damages to a power supply facility. In addition, in Horlivka civilians remain without access to water. Along the "line of contact" the main roads are under fire and this blocks access to market, healthcare and other basic facilities. Schools are not spared either, and a school in Donetsk and a children’s centre in Sievierodonetsk have been targeted.

UN estimates that around 677,000 people has already crossed the neighbouring countries' borders since the beginning of war, while IDPs are 100,000. The figure is expeted to increased by more than 100,000 people a day in the next weeks.

by Sara Gorelli