Kyiv, 13 August 2026 – More civilians were killed or injured in July 2026 than in any month since March 2022, marking a new high in this year’s escalation of civilian harm, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission (HRMMU) said today.
HRMMU verified that at least 437 civilians were killed and 2,610 injured in Ukraine in July, a 30 per cent increase compared with the previous month and a 70 per cent increase compared with July 2025. The number of those killed is the highest recorded since May 2022, while child casualties were at their highest level since April 2022. The actual figure is likely higher, as HRMMU continues to verify information.
“Every month this year the number of killed and injured civilians has increased. That trend accelerated sharply in July. The number of civilian casualties in July was the highest we documented in a single month since March 2022,” said Danielle Bell, Head of HRMMU.
During the first seven months of 2026, HRMMU verified that conflict-related violence in Ukraine resulted in 12,477 civilian casualties (1,839 killed and 10,638 injured). This constitutes a 44 per cent increase compared with the same period in 2025 (1,434 killed and 7,216 injured) and more than double the number during the same period in 2024 (1,188 killed and 4,560 injured).
Reported civilian casualties in the Russian Federation also increased in July. Russian authorities reported that 79 civilians were killed and 601 injured in the Russian Federation in July. HRMMU has not been able to independently verify these figures to its verification standards due to lack of access and limited information.
With at least 54 civilians killed and 202 injured, Kyiv was one of the hardest hit cities in Ukraine in July as Russian armed forces significantly increased the use of ballistic and cruise missiles. Russia launched at least 429 missiles in July, more than double the number in June. Many of the missiles struck Kyiv.
In the deadliest strike of the month, at least 30 civilians were killed and 104 injured on 2 July when Russian armed forces launched 74 missiles and almost 500 long-range drones, mainly striking Kyiv city.
Long-range weapons (missiles and drones) remained the leading cause of civilian casualties in July, accounting for 38 per cent of the total (183 killed and 967 injured). Civilian casualties from aerial bombardments (105 killed and 753 injured) increased by 143 per cent compared with June 2026 (45 killed and 308 injured), with glide bombs becoming the second leading cause of civilian casualties. Short-range drones near the frontline caused 27 per cent of casualties (111 killed and 710 injured).
While several high-casualty large-scale attacks accounted for some of the increase in civilian casualties in July, daily attacks with fewer casualties across different regions also contributed to the high numbers.
“Civilians are facing intensified risks from the increased use of missiles and drones in urban centers, glide bombs in cities closer to the frontline, and short-range drones,” Bell said. “Together, these attacks are driving up civilian casualties across different regions of Ukraine”.
Overall, since 24 February 2022, OHCHR has verified at least 16,874 civilians killed, including 820 children, and 51,273 injured, including 3,126 children.
