Key facts
- June recorded 293 civilian deaths and 1,990 injuries in Ukraine, the highest since April 2022.
- The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine released a report detailing the casualty figures.
- Civilian casualties in the first half of 2026 increased by 37% compared to the same period in 2025.
- Long-range missiles and drones were the primary cause of civilian deaths and injuries in June.
- Attacks on urban centers far from the front lines, including Kyiv and Dnipro, were noted.
- Short-range drone attacks near the front line reached their highest monthly level.
June marked the deadliest month for civilians in Ukraine since April 2022, with at least 293 killed and 1,990 injured, according to a report released July 14 by the U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU).
The casualty figures for June surpassed those of May, when 282 people were killed and 1,794 injured, and represented a 37% increase compared to June of the previous year. The mission stated that the steady rise in civilian casualties during the first half of 2026 reflects Russia's intensified attacks and increased use of powerful weaponry.
Danielle Bell, head of the HRMMU, cautioned that the risks faced by civilians are not only persisting but are growing in scale and complexity. During the first six months of 2026, the UN documented 1,396 civilian deaths and 7,978 injuries, a 37% increase from the same period in 2025 and a 114% increase from the first half of 2024.
Long-range missiles and drones were identified as the leading cause of civilian casualties in June, responsible for 45% of all incidents, resulting in 126 deaths and 907 injuries. Many of these attacks targeted urban areas distant from the front lines, including Kyiv and Dnipro. Concurrently, civilian casualties from short-range drones near the front line reached their highest monthly total since the invasion began, causing 89 deaths and 588 injuries. Aerial bombs, artillery, and multiple-launch rocket systems also continued to contribute to significant civilian losses.
Zaporizhzhia Oblast recorded the highest number of civilian casualties in June with 23 killed and 229 injured, followed by Kherson Oblast with 18 killed and 236 injured. Dnipro reported 25 deaths and 77 injuries, while Kyiv recorded 11 deaths and 112 injuries.
The report also highlighted ongoing Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure throughout June. Additionally, it noted a sharp increase in Ukrainian strikes on electricity generation, distribution, and transmission facilities in Russian-occupied Crimea, with at least 12 attacks causing power outages.
Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights has verified at least 16,431 civilian deaths, including 803 children, and 48,613 injuries, including 2,960 children. The UN acknowledges that the actual figures are likely higher due to difficulties in verifying reports from Russian-occupied territories.