The number of civilian deaths in Ukraine in July reached the highest level since May 2022, the United Nations reported on August 13 amid an intensification of Russian long-range missile strikes.
According to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission, at least 437 civilians were killed in Ukraine in July, and 2,610 were injured. This is 30% more than in the previous month and 70% more than in July 2023. “The number of deaths is the highest since May 2022,” the mission’s statement said.
Russia launched a record number of missiles at Ukraine during the month, according to an AFP analysis of data released by the Ukrainian Air Force. In particular, ballistic missiles, which are difficult to intercept, were launched at the Ukrainian capital.
The UN confirmed the deaths of 16,874 civilians since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, although it warned that this figure is likely significantly underestimated. The organization cannot confirm the losses in parts of Ukraine occupied by Russian forces, particularly in Mariupol — a port city that Russia besieged early in the war and where thousands are believed to have died. Hundreds of thousands of people, mostly military personnel from both sides, have died since the start of the full-scale invasion. The conflict has become the deadliest in Europe since World War II, and U.S.-led efforts to end the fighting have made no progress.
Ukraine’s retaliatory strikes and unverified Russian data
In July, at least 54 civilians were killed in Kyiv, making the capital “one of the most affected cities,” the UN noted. In the early years of the war, Kyiv was relatively well protected, but a shortage of air defense systems and increased Russian strikes have made the capital more vulnerable.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on allies to provide more modern air defense systems, including American Patriots, to protect against hypersonic ballistic missiles, whose trajectory and speed make them difficult to intercept.
Ukraine has also intensified its own long-range strikes on Russia, calling them retaliatory strikes aimed at hitting the Russian war machine and reducing its energy revenues.
The Russian authorities reported that the number of civilian deaths rose to 79 in July. However, the United Nations said it had been “unable to independently verify these figures according to its standards due to lack of access and limited information.”
Source: The Straits Times
