UN human rights chief urges Russia to cease arms attack against Ukraine

GENEVA

The UN human rights chief on Tuesday urged Russia to end its war on Ukraine as armed attacks that have caused "harrowing stories of human suffering" continue daily for more than two years.

"Despite harrowing stories of human suffering unfolding every day in Ukraine, I fear that the world has grown numb to this crisis," Volker Turk, the UN high commissioner for human rights, said in his video message to the 55th session of the Human Rights Council's interactive dialogue on Ukraine.

"Two years of immense suffering, bloodshed, loss and grief. Countless families have been separated," Turk said, noting that more than 10,500 civilians were killed and over 20,000 injured.

Stressing that actual figures are likely significantly higher, he said: "The conflict increasingly is becoming entrenched and protracted, punctuated by recurring waves of attacks, as seen across the country last week."

He reiterated his call on Moscow to "cease its armed attack," and added: "The violations of international humanitarian and human rights law by the Russian armed forces and administrative officials in occupied territory must stop, at once."

"The occupation must come to an end," he urged.

He also expresses concern regarding Russia's "brutal treatment" and executions of prisoners of war (PoWs).

"I implore the Russian Federation to take immediate action to conduct effective investigations into each allegation of execution of PoWs, and to take steps to end their torture and ill-treatment," he said.