At least 8,000 people have been killed in Mariupol over the course of a year of war — HRW report

The international human rights organization Human Rights Watch has released new data on the devastation of Mariupol. The report, based on 240 interviews with predominantly displaced individuals from Mariupol conducted by HRW and the Ukrainian human rights organization Truth Hounds, also includes an analysis of over 850 photos and videos, documents, and dozens of satellite images taken by HRW and SITU Research.

According to the analysis, more than 10,000 people were buried in Mariupol between March 2022 and February 2023. By comparing this increase in burials to the city’s normal mortality rate, researchers estimated that at least 8,000 people died due to the conflict or war-related causes. HRW acknowledges that the actual death toll could be much higher, given the presence of multiple bodies in some graves and the likelihood of remains buried under rubble or in makeshift graves that are challenging to identify.

The report details 14 attacks that damaged or destroyed 18 buildings, resulting in civilian casualties. These attacks include the shelling of hospitals, a theater providing shelter for civilians, a food warehouse, an aid distribution center, a supermarket, and residential buildings serving as shelters for civilians. Human Rights Watch and Truth Hounds found no evidence of Ukrainian military presence on or near these targets, making the attacks clearly unlawful.

The report identifies 17 units of Russian and Russian-affiliated forces operating in Mariupol during March and April 2022, the peak of the fighting. Ida Sawyer, head of Crisis and Conflict at HRW, emphasizes that the devastation caused by Russian troops in Mariupol is one of the worst chapters of their full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The report urges international bodies and governments committed to justice to focus on investigating the actions of Russian officials involved in potential war crimes in the city.

Furthermore, the report highlights ongoing actions by Russian authorities in Mariupol, including the construction of new multi-storey residential buildings as part of a stated plan to rebuild and redevelop the city. However, the lack of independent investigators raises concerns that the Russian government is destroying physical evidence at numerous potential crime scenes. The occupation forces are also erasing markers of Ukrainian identity by introducing a Russian school curriculum and renaming streets. Mariupol, with a population of 530,000 before the full-scale invasion, has been under siege since March and fully occupied since the second half of May.