UN confirms that Russia attacked Hroza and all victims were civilians

The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine studied what happened in the village of Hroza. Photo - Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (www.ohchr.org)

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has confirmed that the missile attack on Hroza in Kharkiv Oblast on 5 October was launched by the Russian army, and all 59 victims were civilians.

Source: the Ukraine: Report into Hroza missile attack report by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights through the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, posted on 31 October

Quote: "Today, we are publishing a report into the events of 5 October that concludes there are reasonable grounds to believe that the missile was launched by Russian armed forces, and that there was no indication of military personnel or any other legitimate military targets at or adjacent to the café at the time of the attack."

Details: The report is based on information collected and verified by representatives of the Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, who conducted two fact-finding missions in Hroza on 7 and 10 October. Experts examined the site of the explosion and interviewed 35 people, including residents, witnesses, two survivors, medical personnel and morgue employees.

A missile hit a café in the small village of Hroza in eastern Ukraine, killing 59 people attending a memorial dinner, on 5 October. It was one of the deadliest civilian incidents since February 2022.

Representatives found out that the killed – 36 women, 22 men and an 8-year-old boy – were civilians who came to the reception after the funeral and reburial of a resident, a serviceman of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The explosion completely destroyed a café and a small shop.

Fifteen families lost two or more family members as a result of the missile attack.

Identification was based on DNA tests of the remains of the bodies in numerous instances, since it was otherwise impossible to establish the identities of the dead. One of the women could only be identified by her manicure.

Quote: "The Russian armed forces either failed to do everything feasible to verify that the target was a military objective, or deliberately targeted civilians or civilian objects. Either scenario would be in violation of international humanitarian law.

We urge the Russian Federation to conduct a full and transparent investigation to hold those responsible to account and to take measures to prevent similar attacks from happening in the future.

We also call on the Russian Federation to provide access to effective remedy, including appropriate reparations, for victims and families."

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