At least 437 civilians were killed and 2,610 injured in Ukraine in July 2026. This is the highest monthly civilian death toll since May 2022, and the highest number of children injured since April 2022.
This was reported in the report of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) “Protection of civilians in armed conflict – July 2026”.
According to the UN, the number of civilian casualties increased by 30% compared to June 2026, when 298 people were killed and 2,041 injured, and by 70% compared to July 2025.
The loss of life among children is of particular concern. In July, 17 children were killed and 166 others were injured, the highest monthly figure since early April 2022.
Long-range weapons – missiles and drones – remained the main cause of civilian casualties. They accounted for 38% of all confirmed casualties: 183 killed and 967 injured. Most of these attacks occurred far from the front lines – in major cities.
At the same time, the UN recorded a sharp increase in the number of casualties from the use of guided bombs. In July, 105 civilians were killed and 753 were injured as a result of air strikes, which is 143% more than in June.
The number of casualties from short-range drones near the front lines also reached its highest level in the entire period of the full-scale war. In July, such attacks resulted in the deaths of 111 civilians and the injury of 710 people, which is 27% of all civilian casualties.
According to the UN Human Rights Office, civilians were killed or injured in 14 regions of Ukraine and the city of Kyiv.
The worst-hit areas were Kyiv – 54 dead, 202 injured; Kherson – 34 dead, 424 injured; Zaporizhzhia – 27 dead, 280 injured; and Sumy – 20 dead, 152 injured.
The confirmed figures also include 25 dead and 50 injured civilians in the territories of Ukraine occupied by the Russian Federation. At the same time, the UN emphasizes that due to limited access to information, the actual number of victims in the occupied territories is likely to be much higher.
The report also notes that attacks on energy and port infrastructure intensified in July.
According to the UN Human Rights Office, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have attacked electricity production, distribution and transmission facilities in the occupied Crimea at least 31 times, which led to emergency and planned power outages. At the same time, the report states that the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have also attacked Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
Separately, UN experts drew attention to the increase in the number of attacks on sea vessels and port infrastructure in the Odessa and Mykolaiv regions. In July, at least 39 such attacks were recorded, including at least 20 attacks on sea vessels. As a result of these attacks, 19 civilians were killed and another 25 were injured, including port workers and ship crew members. According to the UN, such attacks have negatively affected the international transportation of goods and agricultural products through the Black Sea.
Photo: bessarabiainform.com
Author: Inna Mikhno