June 2026 was the deadliest month for Ukrainian civilians since April 2022, according to a new United Nations report. At least 293 civilians were killed and 1,990 wounded last month, marking a sharp escalation in violence across the country.
The report, published Tuesday by the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU), states that after a sharp increase documented in May, the number of civilian casualties continued to rise in June, reaching the highest level of killed and wounded since the spring of 2022. The figures represent a significant jump compared to May, which saw 282 killed and 1,794 wounded, and are well above June 2025, when 249 civilians died and 1,416 were injured.
Long-range weapons and drones drive civilian toll
The main cause of civilian casualties remained long-range weapons — powerful missiles and drones — responsible for 45 percent of all victims, including 126 killed and 907 wounded. HRMMU notes that most of these casualties occurred far from the front line, in urban centers such as Kyiv and Dnipro. Near the front line, short-range drones caused the highest monthly number of civilian casualties since February 24, 2022, with 89 killed and 588 wounded in June alone.
Other types of combat actions also continued to inflict heavy losses. Aerial bombardments killed 44 civilians and wounded 280, artillery and multiple rocket launcher attacks left 27 dead and 171 injured, and unexploded ordnance and mines claimed 7 lives and injured 44.
Regions hit hardest and infrastructure under fire
The vast majority of civilian casualties in June occurred in government-controlled areas. Fatalities and injuries were recorded in 13 oblasts and the capital, Kyiv. The highest numbers came from Zaporizhzhia (23 killed, 229 wounded), Kherson (18 killed, 236 wounded), Dnipro (25 killed, 77 wounded), and Kyiv (11 killed, 112 wounded). HRMMU also reported intensified attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure during the month.
Looking at the first six months of 2026, the total number of civilian casualties reached 1,396 killed and 7,978 wounded. This represents a notable increase compared to the first half of 2025, when 1,122 civilians were killed and 5,734 wounded, and a steep rise from the first half of 2024, which had 940 deaths and 3,442 injuries.
Źródło: Polsat News, Fot. Polsat News
