London: A senior United Nations official says the extent of war crimes committed in Ukraine – in particular horrific acts of sexual violence by Russian troops – could take years to document amid an escalating civilian death toll from the bloody conflict. Matilda Bogner, the Australian-born head of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, said investigators have verified some allegations of rape, torture and summary executions since Russia invaded on February 24, but warned the full scale of death and destruction was a long way off being realised. Matilda Bogner, head of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, in Donetsk last year. Bogner said UN staff were “appalled, day after day” by the rising death toll and human suffering in cities, towns and villages across the country. She said the past two weeks have also seen the number of forced disappearances of local government officials, journalists and activists in Russian controlled territories “skyrocket”.

Source: Libya Today April 15, 2022 09:46 UTC