ALBAWABA - June marks the worst month of the war for Ukraine since 2022, according to the United Nations as Russia intensified its attacks on its neighbor, hitting cities deep into Ukraine far from the front lines.
At least 293 civilians were killed in Ukraine in June, taking the number to nearly 1,400 civilian casualties year to date - a 37 percent increase from last year and double the casualties from 2024 in the same period of time, according to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU).
The HRMMU further said in a statement: “(June’s figures) show an alarming escalatory trend with mounting civilian toll, driven by the intensifying use of powerful weapons that are particularly deadly when used in densely populated urban areas.”
They noted that the increase comes from Russia’s use of long-range ballistic missiles targeting civilian infrastructure in Dnipro, Odessa, and Kyiv, with civilian casualties jumping 60 percent from long-range missiles from January to June when compared to the same period in 2025.
Along the frontlines, however, its short-range drones doing most of the damage. With the HRMMU stating that these drones have “transformed the environment” for civilians, saying:
“Many describe feeling hunted by short-range drones simply for attempting everyday tasks such as shopping for food, walking dogs, cycling, working in the yard or traveling to safety,”
The severe attacks continue into July as in the first half of the month Ukraine recorded 240 civilian casualties along with 1,904 injured. With one particularly fierce attack on July 2nd killing 30 people including a family of six.
