Steep rise in civilian casualties in Russia-Ukraine war, UN says

What the report says

Al Jazeera, citing UN officials and news agencies, reported that civilian harm in the Russia-Ukraine war has risen sharply as both sides make greater use of missiles and drones beyond the front line. Danielle Bell, who leads the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, said in Geneva on Tuesday that monitors recorded 1,396 civilian deaths and 7,978 injuries in Ukraine during the first half of 2026. She said that was 37 percent higher than the same period last year and nearly twice the figure documented in 2024.

Bell also pointed to credible Russian open-source information indicating that 250 civilians were killed and 1,596 injured inside Russia in the first six months of the year, a 121 percent increase from last year. Al Jazeera reported that Moscow and Kyiv have intensified strikes on infrastructure while US-led diplomacy on ending Russia’s invasion remains stalled. Russia has relied heavily on ballistic missiles, while Ukraine has expanded attacks inside Russia, including against oil depots.

The UN mission identified another major source of civilian casualties near the front: short-range drones and glide bombs, particularly first-person-view drones. Bell said casualties from short-range drones rose 65 percent in the first half of the year, and described residents in areas such as Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Kharkiv and Dnipro saying ordinary activities now feel exposed to drone surveillance and attack.

Al Jazeera also highlighted a Russian strike on the Golden Leo, a Guinea-Bissau-flagged cargo ship leaving Odesa with Indian and Syrian crew, which killed 10 people, including four Indians. India summoned Russia’s charge d’affaires and said attacks affecting commercial shipping and civilians were unacceptable. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia had contacted India and maintained that Moscow targets vessels it considers linked to arms transport for Kyiv.