June saw highest number of civilians killed by Russia since war began – UN

At least 293 civilians were killed in Russian strikes in June, the highest monthly death toll since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, UN human rights experts have said.

Source: a monthly report by UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) on 14 July; press release by HRMMU

Quote: "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."

Details: HRMMU head Danielle Bell said civilian casualties in Ukraine rose sharply in the first half of 2026 amid intensifying attacks and Russia's heavier use of deadly weapons.

Quote: "This trend should serve as a warning that the risks facing civilians are not only persisting but growing in both scale and complexity."

More details: HRMMU reported that a total of 1,396 civilians were killed and 7,978 injured over the first six months of this year, up 37% on the same period in 2025 and up 114% compared with the first half of 2024.

Quote: "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% compared with the same period in 2025."

More details: Since 24 February 2022, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has verified at least 16,431 civilians killed, including 803 children, and 48,613 injured, including 2,960 children.

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