KYIV 14 July 2026 – Civilian casualties in Ukraine have risen steadily from month to month and from year to year, amid intensifying use of powerful weapons, in a disturbing escalation, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) said today.
After May recorded the highest number of civilian casualties in over four years, June surpassed it, with at least 293 civilians killed and 1,990 injured, becoming the month with the highest number of civilians killed and injured since April 2022.
“The figures show an alarming escalatory trend with mounting civilian toll, driven by the intensifying use of powerful weapons that are particularly deadly when used in densely populated urban areas,” said Danielle Bell who heads HRMMU. "This trend should serve as a warning that the risks facing civilians are not only persisting but growing in both scale and complexity."
In all, 1,396 civilians died and 7,978 suffered injuries in the first six months of this year, a 37 per cent rise from the same period in 2025, and a 114 per cent increase compared with the year before.
In an update on civilian casualties released on Tuesday HRMMU said the increase was driven largely by long-range attacks by the Russian Federation, which mainly affected urban centers far from the frontline. Between January and June of this year, civilian casualties from long-range weapons such as missiles and drones increased by 60 per cent compared with the same period in 2025.
In areas close to the frontline short-range drones were responsible for most of the civilian deaths and injuries. In June, they killed and injured more civilians than in any other month since 24 February 2022.
"Short-range drones have transformed the environment for civilians living near the frontline. The accounts we hear from civilians displaced from frontline communities are deeply consistent – and terrifying. Many describe feeling hunted by short-range drones simply for attempting everyday tasks such as shopping for food, walking dogs, cycling, working in the yard or travelling to safety," Bell added.
The vast majority of civilian casualties have occurred in areas under the control of the Government of Ukraine. HRMMU has also verified civilian casualties in occupied territory, although fewer compared to 2025.
The authorities of the Russian Federation have also reported rising civilian casualties on its territory in the first six months of 2026, citing 250 civilians killed and 1,596 injured), a 121 per cent increase compared with the same period in 2025.
Overall, since 24 February 2022, OHCHR has verified at least 16,431 civilians killed, including 803 children, and 48,613 injured, including 2,960 children.
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