Civilian casualties in Ukraine hit peak since 2022 in July - UN
Photo: A person stands in front of a building destroyed by Russia (Getty Images)
In July 2026, more civilians were killed or injured in Ukraine as a result of Russian aggression than in any other month since March 2022, according to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine.
How many casualties were recorded in one month
According to the mission, at least 437 civilians were killed, and another 2,610 were injured in Ukraine in July 2026.
This is 30% more than in June, when 298 people were killed, and 2,041 were injured, and 70% more than in July 2025, when 312 people were killed, and 1,482 were injured.
The number of civilians killed was the highest since May 2022. The number of child casualties — 17 killed and 166 injured — was the highest since April 2022.
Which weapons caused the casualties
Long-range weapons, including missiles and drones, remained the leading cause of civilian casualties. They accounted for 38% of all casualties, with 183 people killed and 967 injured. Most of these incidents occurred far from the front line, in urban areas.
Civilian casualties caused by guided aerial bombs — 105 killed and 753 injured — increased by 143% compared with June.
Casualties caused by small drones near the front line reached their highest monthly level since February 24, 2022, accounting for 27% of all casualties.
Where the most people were killed
Civilian casualties were recorded in 14 regions and Kyiv.
The highest numbers of deaths and injuries were recorded in Kyiv, with 54 killed and 202 injured; Kherson, with 34 killed and 424 injured; Zaporizhzhia, with 27 killed and 280 injured; and Sumy, with 20 killed and 152 injured.
The UN's verified data also include 25 people killed and 50 injured in occupied territories. The mission emphasized that access to information from those areas is becoming increasingly limited, meaning the actual number of casualties there is likely significantly higher.
Strikes on ports and energy infrastructure
The mission also noted an increase in attacks on maritime vessels and port infrastructure in the Odesa and Mykolaiv regions.
According to the UN, at least 39 such attacks were recorded, including at least 20 targeting maritime vessels. They damaged ships or port infrastructure, while some resulted in civilian casualties, including among port and vessel personnel — 19 killed and 25 injured.
These attacks negatively affected the international transportation of goods and agricultural products through the Black Sea.
At the same time, the Ukrainian Armed Forces attacked electricity generation, distribution and transmission facilities in occupied Crimea at least 31 times, significantly more than in June.
These attacks resulted in emergency or scheduled power outages. Russian forces, in turn, also targeted Ukraine's energy infrastructure.
The alarming statistics on civilian casualties have persisted for more than one month.
According to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission, May 2026 saw the highest number of civilian casualties since April 2022, with at least 274 civilians killed.
UN Deputy Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo also spoke about the high civilian casualties in June at a UN Security Council meeting.
