Devastating Russian attacks make June deadliest month for Ukraine’s civilians since 2022
By Niamh Kennedy, Victoria Butenko, Svitlana Vlasova, CNN
(CNN) — June was the deadliest month for Ukrainian civilians since April 2022, the United Nations said Tuesday, underscoring the devastating impact of Russia’s intensified attacks on cities far from the front lines.
The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) said at least 293 Ukrainian civilians were killed in June, taking the number of civilian deaths for the year to date to nearly 1,400. That’s 37% more than the same period last year, and more than double the figure for the same period in 2024.
The head of the HRMMU, Danielle Bell, said 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.”
HRMMU said the increase was driven largely by long-range Russian missiles fired into residential buildings in cities including Dnipro, Odesa and the capital, Kyiv.
Civilian casualties from long-range weapons have increased by 60% from January to June when compared with the same period in 2025, according to the UN.
Ukrainian authorities have been vocal about their struggles in shooting down Russian ballistic missiles, asking European allies for help in bolstering missile defense systems and intensively lobbying the US for the go-ahead to produce the Patriot interceptor missiles capable of stopping Moscow’s ballistic missiles.
In areas closest to the front line, short-range drones have been responsible for the bulk of civilian deaths and injuries in 2026, according to the UN.
Bell said these drones have “transformed the environment” for civilians living near the front line.
“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,” she said.
The human impact of the relentless Russian attacks continues to be felt acutely across Ukraine. Attacks in the first half of July have killed at least 240 civilians and injured 1,904 so far in Ukraine, according to a CNN count based on figures from local authorities.
On July 2, another fierce Russian attack on Kyiv killed at least 30, including a family of six.
In a Facebook post, Alla Melnychuk, a family friend, 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 his whole life ahead of him. Dreams. Family. A future.”
The family “weren’t just acquaintances,” she added. “They were people with whom a part of our lives was intertwined.”
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Daria Tarasova-Markina contributed to this report.
