According to Oleksii Serhieiev, the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs in Kyiv, Ukraine, Russian forces have conducted approximately 30,000 strikes within Ukrainian territory since the beginning of this year.
This number represents almost half of the attacks recorded in 2023, when Ukrainian officials estimated around 66,000 strikes had been carried out.
Serhieiev made these remarks while speaking with representatives of the Bavaria State Parliament in southeast Germany on Friday. He noted that the frequency of Russian shelling on Ukrainian soil has increased in February and March compared to previous months.
Since the start of the war in February 2022, Moscow's forces have repeatedly targeted critical infrastructure across Ukraine, including apartment buildings, residential areas, and the country's energy infrastructure.
A report published by the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) in February recorded over 30,000 civilian casualties in Ukraine over the past two years, with more than 10,000 civilians killed.
During Friday's meeting, Serhieiev also mentioned that Ukraine's National Police have documented 116,000 "war crimes committed by the Russian occupiers."
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has accused Russian President Vladimir Putin and members of his military of holding a "policy to target civilians" throughout the war, issuing arrest warrants against the Kremlin leader and others.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated his call to the international community to hold Russia accountable for committing crimes against humanity in a video message on Tuesday, stating that "justice is stronger than the Kremlin's walls."
Newsweek reached out to Russia's foreign ministry via email for comment on Friday night.
In recent months, Kyiv has also increased its attacks on Russian territory, including firing more than 50 drones in the southern region of Rostov on Friday, according to Russia's Defense Ministry. Moscow officials stated that they were able to intercept 44 of the missiles.
The region's governor, Vasily Golubev, reported on Telegram that eight people were injured after an explosive device in one of the intercepted drones detonated around noon.
Ukrainian officials also claimed responsibility for launching an airstrike on a Russian airbase in Morozovsk overnight Friday, which they said destroyed six warplanes and damaged eight others. Around 20 personnel stationed at the base are believed to have been killed or injured in the strike.