In June 2026, more civilians were killed in Ukraine than in any single month since April 2022, making it the deadliest month in four years, the United Nations reported on Tuesday. This increase coincided with a surge in long-range Russian missile strikes.
According to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, at least 293 civilians were killed and 1,990 injured in June 2026. This figure is the highest since April 2022, which marked the second full month of the Russian invasion that has now lasted four and a half years.
Increase in casualties and air defense depletion
The rise in casualties was primarily attributed to long-range attacks by the Russian Federation targeting urban centers far from the front line, the UN added. In recent months, Russia has intensified shelling of densely populated areas, particularly the capital Kyiv, taking advantage of Ukraine’s shortage of air defense missiles.
In the first six months of 2026, the number of confirmed civilian deaths in Ukraine reached 1,396, which is 37 percent higher than last year and more than double the figure for 2024.
The Russian authorities also reported an increase in civilian casualties on their territory, citing a figure of 250 dead in the first half of 2026, representing an increase of 121 percent year-on-year, the report said.
Total losses and underestimation of data
In total, the UN recorded 16,431 confirmed civilian deaths in Ukraine since Russia’s invasion in February 2022, including 803 children.
However, the organization notes that this figure is likely significantly underestimated, as it cannot verify the number of deaths during the intense fighting at the beginning of the war in areas now under Russian control, including Mariupol and Lysychansk, where thousands are believed to have died.
Although Ukraine appears to have stabilized the front in recent months, depleted air defense supplies since the start of the American-Israeli war in Iran have left its cities vulnerable to Russian shelling.
Source: France 24
