June was the deadliest month for Ukrainian civilians since April 2022, the United Nations said on Tuesday, underscoring the devastating impact of Russia’s stepped-up attacks on cities far from the front lines.
The United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) said at least 293 Ukrainian civilians were killed in June, bringing the civilian death toll so far this year to nearly 1,400. This is a 37% increase compared to the same period last year and more than double the same period in 2024.
Daniel Bell, director of HRMMU, said the June statistics “reveal a worrying trend of increasing civilian casualties due to the increased use of high-powered weapons, which are particularly lethal when used in densely populated urban areas.”
HRMMU said the increase was mainly due to Russian long-range missiles fired at residential buildings in cities such as Dnipropetrovsk, Odessa and the capital Kiev.
According to the United Nations, civilian casualties from long-range weapons increased by 60% from January to June compared to the same period in 2025.
Ukrainian authorities have been vocal about their struggle to shoot down Russian ballistic missiles, asked allies in Europe to help strengthen their missile defense systems, and are intensively lobbying the United States for the green light to build Patriot interceptors capable of stopping Russian ballistic missiles.
In areas closest to the front lines, short-range drones accounted for the majority of civilian casualties in 2026, according to the United Nations.
Bell said these drones have “changed the landscape” for civilians living near the front lines.
“Many people find themselves being chased by short-range drones just trying to perform everyday tasks such as shopping for food, walking the dog, cycling, working in the garden, or traveling to a safe location,” she says.
The human impact of Russia’s relentless aggression continues to be acutely felt across Ukraine. At least 240 civilians have been killed and 1,904 injured in attacks in Ukraine since the first half of July, according to a CNN tally based on local authorities’ statistics.
On July 2, another heavy Russian attack on Kiev left at least 30 people dead, including six family members.
In a Facebook post, family friend Alla Melnychuk paid tribute to the family, including a son named Nikita, who survived childhood cancer.
“He was only 23 years old,” Melnychuk said. “He was supposed to get married in a few days. He had everything in life waiting for him: dreams, family, future.”
The family “wasn’t just acquaintances,” she added. “They were people who were part of our lives.”
