The UN has reported a sharp rise in the number of Ukrainian civilians killed as a result of the war

This was stated on Tuesday by the United Nations, as it assessed the number of civilian casualties resulting from Russian strikes. The information was reported by UNIAN.

According to CNN, citing data from the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, at least 293 Ukrainian civilians were killed in June.

The number of civilian deaths since the start of 2026 has reached almost 1,400. This is 37 per cent higher than during the same period last year, and more than double the figure for the same period in 2024.

It is noted that the increase in the number of casualties is mainly due to Russian long-range ballistic missile strikes on residential buildings in cities such as Dnipro, Odesa and Kyiv.

According to UN data, the number of civilian casualties resulting from the use of long-range weapons rose by 60 per cent between January and June compared with the same period in 2025.

At the same time, in the areas closest to the front line, short-range drones were responsible for the majority of civilian deaths and injuries in 2026.

As noted by Daniel Bell, Chair of the Office for Human Rights and the Environment, drones are targeting people simply whilst they are going about their daily lives – such as shopping for groceries, walking their dogs, cycling or gardening.

Russian attacks have continued unabated throughout July. According to CNN’s estimates, based on data from local authorities, at least 240 civilians were killed and 1,904 injured in Ukraine during the first half of July.