The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine reported that at least 437 civilians were killed and 2,610 wounded in July, marking the deadliest month for civilians since May 2022, when at least 589 people died and 1,152 were injured.
Civilian casualties rose by 30% compared with June, when 298 people were killed and 2,041 wounded, and by 70% compared with July 2023, when 312 died and 1,482 were injured. Among the dead and wounded in July were 17 children, with another 166 minors affected — the highest figure since April 2022.
The UN attributed the majority of civilian deaths and injuries to long-range missile and drone strikes, which accounted for 38% of all casualties. Most such attacks occurred far from the front line, including in major cities. The mission separately noted a sharp increase in casualties from short-range drone strikes in frontline areas: 111 people were killed and 710 wounded — the highest number recorded since the start of the full-scale war.
Civilians were also killed far more frequently in airstrikes in July: 105 people died and 753 were wounded, a 143% increase from the previous month. The highest casualty figures were recorded in Kyiv (54 killed, 202 wounded), Kherson (34 killed, 424 wounded), Zaporizhzhia (27 killed, 280 wounded) and Sumy (20 killed, 152 wounded).
The UN also recorded an increase in Russian attacks on ships and port infrastructure in the Odesa and Mykolaiv regions, with at least 39 such attacks in July, including at least 20 strikes on maritime vessels. Nineteen people were killed and 25 wounded in those attacks. The mission noted that the attacks are already having a negative impact on international cargo and agricultural shipments through the Black Sea.