Russian rights official says more than 60 complaints were sent to the UN

Wednesday 19 August 2026 - 15:25

By: Azzat Manal

Russian rights official says more than 60 complaints were sent to the UN

Russia’s human rights commissioner, Yana Lantratova, says more than 60 communications have been sent to the United Nations concerning alleged attacks on civilians in Russia during the conflict with Ukraine.

According to Lantratova, most of the communications have not received a response. She said Russian authorities have also been working with the Foreign Ministry to raise the issue of an alleged attack on a student residence in Starobilsk.

Russian officials say the incident took place on May 22, when drones struck a student dormitory associated with a college in the city. Russian authorities have reported that 21 people were killed and more than 40 others injured, including teenagers.

Moscow has repeatedly accused Ukrainian forces of targeting residential areas and civilian infrastructure in border regions and other parts of Russia. Russian officials say such incidents involve drones and missiles and have called for greater international attention to the alleged attacks.

The Ukrainian government has not been presented in the supplied report as confirming the Russian allegations, while the broader conflict has involved repeated accusations from both sides concerning attacks on civilian areas and critical infrastructure.

The issue reflects a wider diplomatic dispute over the treatment of civilians during the war. Russia has sought to bring allegations against Ukraine before international organizations, while Ukraine and its international partners have similarly accused Russian forces of attacks that have caused civilian casualties.

The United Nations has mechanisms for documenting and investigating alleged violations of international humanitarian and human rights law. However, the submission of a complaint or communication does not itself establish responsibility for an incident, as allegations generally require independent verification.

The dispute also highlights the continuing difficulty of establishing facts about individual incidents in areas affected by active hostilities. Access to locations, independent investigations and reliable evidence can all be limited during wartime.

For Moscow, raising the allegations internationally forms part of its broader diplomatic effort to draw attention to civilian casualties attributed to Ukrainian attacks. The Russian authorities say they will continue submitting information to international institutions.