Over 8,000 Lives Lost in the 2022 Mariupol Siege

By Emma Farge

GENEVA (Reuters) – According to Human Rights Watch, at least 8,000 people lost their lives due to fighting or war-related causes during Russia’s prolonged campaign to capture Mariupol, marking one of the largest battles in the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine that began nearly two years ago.

Mariupol became a symbol of devastation during a nearly three-month Russian siege for control of the strategic port city from March to May 2022, during which trapped civilians were compelled to bury their deceased loved ones alongside the road.

The assessment from Human Rights Watch relies on satellite imagery and other sources to estimate the tragic toll, becoming one of the few independent evaluations of casualties thus far.

Ukrainian authorities have reported that tens of thousands have perished but lack precise figures without access to the city, which is currently under Russian control. The United Nations, which has human rights monitors operating in Ukraine, has confirmed over 10,000 civilian deaths across the country since the invasion began. However, it has been unable to verify high civilian death counts specifically in Mariupol due to restricted access.

Russia has steadfastly denied allegations of committing atrocities or targeting civilians during its operations in Ukraine.

Human Rights Watch noted that the actual death toll could be significantly higher than their estimate, as some burial sites may contain multiple bodies, and numerous sites may not have been identified at all.

The comprehensive 224-page report titled "Our City Was Gone: Russia’s Devastation of Mariupol, Ukraine," produced in collaboration with the NGO Truth Hounds and the architecture firm SITU, includes approximately 240 interviews with primarily displaced residents from Mariupol.

HRW documents assaults on civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, a supermarket, and a theater where civilians sought shelter. The investigation found no evidence of Ukrainian military activity at or near these locations, rendering the attacks unlawful.

Ida Sawyer, the crisis and conflict director at Human Rights Watch, highlighted that the devastation of Mariupol represents one of the most egregious episodes of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and called for investigations by governments into these actions.

The report also identifies ten individuals who it claims bear "command responsibility" and should be the focus of potential war crimes investigations.