There was a significant decrease in the rate of civilian casualties resulting from the conflict in Ukraine in the year to July 2021. However, rising tensions in the region pose a risk of reversing this trend significantly. Accurate, timely and independently verified information on casualties is essential for decision makers dealing with the crisis. It also mitigates against (dis)information warfare tactics.

The Documentation Center of the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union has been identifying and recording information on all casualties of the hybrid armed conflict in Ukraine since January 2014. This includes both Russian and Ukrainian military personnel and civilians. The data is available online in database and map format, at The Memorial Map.

The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) also documents and reports periodically on casualties. Its most recent report covers the period from 1 February - 31 July 2021.

CIVIC has been working with the Ukrainian armed forces on civilian casualty tracking, as part of a wider approach to protection of civilians in armed conflict. Much of this approach has been inspired by NATO's Protection of Civilians policy and handbook, which includes reference to ECC's Standards for Casualty Recording. Details and analysis of Ukraine's civilian casualty tracking processes are included in the joint Stimpson Center - CIVIC report, Building Bridges, Reinforcing Protection.

Summary versions of the Standards for Casualty Recording are available in Ukrainian and Russian:

ECC has been working with allies to keep casualty recording on the agenda across UN fora.

In January, Norway organised a Security Council meeting on War in cities: protection of civilians in urban settings. In his opening briefing, UN Secretary General Antonio Gutteres highlighted the importance of casualty recording to 'help clarify the fate of missing people, inform ways to minimize civilian harm and help to ensure accountability, recovery and reconciliation' (S/PV.8953). He encouraged states to develop and implement good policies and practices in this area, and incorporate them within national policy frameworks for the protection of civilians. He also urged all parties to conflict to ensure their armed forces are trained in these matters.

Casualty recording also featured at the 40th session of the Universal Periodic Review at the Human Rights Council. The report of the Working Group on South Sudan (A/HRC/WG.6/40/L.10) called on the state to 'Compile a public, verifiable record of all persons killed in armed conflict in the country, including civilians, with a view of using data to create an early warning system and to promote intercommunal reconciliation'. The Working Group report on Syria (A/HRC/WG.6/40/L.2) reminded the state of its obligations under international humanitarian law to 'facilitate efforts to search for and identify any person killed or missing in hostilities, including civilians'.