Ukraine civilian deaths and injuries hit three-year peak in July UN report

The number of civilian deaths and injuries in Ukraine reached its highest level in three years in July 2025, with nearly 300 fatalities recorded in just one month, according to a new UN report cited by Caliber.Az.

In its latest update on the protection of civilians, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (MMPCHU) said that July saw 286 civilians killed and 1,388 injured — the highest monthly toll since May 2022 and a sharp rise compared to June 2025.

Civilian casualties were confirmed in 18 of Ukraine’s 24 regions.

Danielle Bell, head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Ukraine, stressed that this was the second consecutive month in which the casualty figures reached a three-year high.

“In the first three months after the start of the full-scale invasion by the Russian Federation, there were more deaths and injuries than in the last month,” Bell noted.

According to UN data, almost 40 per cent of all casualties in July were caused by long-range weapons, including missiles and loitering munitions. These strikes resulted in 89 deaths and 572 injuries.

The second largest cause of civilian deaths and injuries was short-range drone attacks, responsible for 24 per cent of casualties — 64 killed and 337 wounded.

The UN noted that casualties from such drones rose sharply compared to July 2024, as reflected in the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) bulletin issued in June 2025.

However, the most significant factor behind the surge in civilian losses was the use of aerial bombs by Russian forces. In July 2025, these strikes affected 276 people — 67 killed and 209 injured — compared to 114 people (34 killed and 80 injured) in June.

By Tamilla Hasanova