U.N. human rights chief warns against normalizing Ukraine's suffering

Dec. 7 (UPI) -- The U.N. human rights chief warned Wednesday that the suffering by millions across Ukraine "must not become the new normal," as a new report sheds light on the deaths of hundreds of civilians.

Volker Türk, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, made his comments in Kyiv after a four-day visit to the country.

"Information continues to emerge about summary executions, torture, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances and sexual violence against women, girls and men," Türk said.

"The prognosis is very worrying," Türk added, saying he feared for those caught up in the "long, bleak winter ahead."

Türk toured Izium during his visit and said the destruction was "shocking."

"You see behind me a multi-story building with signs of life from the past," he said. "When the people who lived in this building tried to find shelter, the building collapsed and we found over 50 bodies."

The U.N. rights chief's visit coincides with the release of a new report, by the U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, into the killings of civilians.

The report documents the violent deaths of 441 civilians in Kyiv, Chernihiv and Sumy that were under Russian control through early April.

Some were killed "cutting firewood or buying groceries," Türk noted.

The Head of the U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, Matilda Bogner, said the summary executions examined in the report may constitute a war crime.

"There are strong indications that the summary executions documented in the report, constitute the war crime of willful killing," said Bogner, who added summary executions often followed security checks by Russian armed forces.

"A mere text message, a piece of camouflage clothing or a record of previous military service could have fatal consequences," she said.

"Russian soldiers brought civilians to makeshift places of detention and then executed them in captivity. Many of the victims' bodies were found with their hands tied behind their backs and gunshot wounds to their heads," said Bogner.

Türk called for humanitarian assistance to help 17.7 million people get through the winter, saying 9.3 million need "food and livelihood assistance."

"Let me stress that the most effective way to stop the running catalogue of cruelty from continuing is to bring an end to this senseless war -- in line with the U.N. Charter and international law," Türk said. "My most fervent wish is for all people in Ukraine to enjoy the right to peace."