UN report: July 2024 marks deadliest month for Ukrainian civilians since 2022

July 2024 saw the highest number of civilian casualties in Ukraine since October 2022, with at least 219 civilians killed and 1,018 injured, according to a report by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. 

Since the start of the full-scale invasion, the Russian forces have been shelling Ukrainian cities all over the country, damaging critical infrastructure and disrupting daily life, with many of them considered war crimes under international law.

The report highlights a large-scale coordinated attack by Russian armed forces on 8 July, which resulted in at least 43 civilian deaths, including five children, and 147 injuries across several Ukrainian cities.

 In Kyiv, a missile strike destroyed part of a children’s hospital, Okhmatdyt, and damaged a pediatric cardiac center. This Russian attack killed two civilians and injured 32, including eight children who were hospitalized. The missile strike severely damaged critical sections of the hospital, including its operating rooms and toxicology wing. 

The focus of Russian military operations shifted from northern Kharkiv Oblast to Donetsk Oblast in June and July. This shift led to a significant increase in civilian casualties in Donetsk, rising from 125 in May to 269 in July.

The UN report notes that the vast majority of civilian casualties and damage to educational and health facilities occurred in government-controlled areas of Ukraine. Specifically, 90 percent of civilian casualties and 86 percent of damage to these facilities were reported in these areas.

Related:

• Okhmatdyt hospital rescue ends: Russian attack killed two, injured 32
• ISW: Russia attempts to deflect responsibility for the Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital strike
• Kyiv’s Okhmatdyt children’s hospital partially reopens after Russian missile strike
• Nine suspected Russian agents arrested in Ukraine for aiding missile strikes