Civilian casualties in Ukraine highest since 2022 - UN
The number of civilians killed in Ukraine in July jumped to its highest level since the first months of the Russian invasion, the United Nations said, as Moscow intensified its long-range missile strikes.
The United Nations has reported a surge in civilian casualties in Ukraine, with the number of deaths reaching its highest level since the beginning of Russia's invasion. In July, at least 437 civilians were killed and 2,610 injured, marking a 30% increase from the previous month and a 70% increase compared to July 2022. This figure represents the highest number of civilian deaths since May 2022.
Russia intensified its long-range missile strikes during the month, launching a record number of missiles that targeted the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission stated that the deaths recorded in July are the highest since the start of the conflict, though they caution this is likely an underestimate due to inaccessible areas under Russian control.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for more advanced air defense systems, specifically US Patriots, to counter the fast and hard-to-intercept ballistic missiles. The conflict in Ukraine has become Europe's deadliest since World War II, with over 16,874 civilians killed so far, though this is likely a significant underestimate.
Ukraine has also increased its own long-range attacks on Russia, targeting Moscow's war machine and energy revenues. Meanwhile, Russia has targeted Ukrainian grain shipment ports, causing damage to infrastructure and halting exports of Ukrainian grain. The conflict continues to escalate, with Russia and Ukraine swapping bodies of killed soldiers in one of the few areas of cooperation.
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