UN Says Civilian Casualties In Russia-Ukraine War Rose 37% In First Half

According to Lianhe Zaobao citing AFP, the United Nations said on Tuesday, July 21, that civilian casualties in the Russia-Ukraine war rose 37% in the first half of this year. The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine said it recorded 1,396 civilian deaths and 7,978 injuries, up 37% from the same period last year and nearly double the 2024 figure. Mission head Danielle Bell said the increase was partly driven by more use of long-range ballistic missiles and drones, which have hit densely populated urban areas far from the front line. She cited a missile strike on a residential district in Kyiv earlier this month that collapsed an apartment building, killing 19 civilians and injuring 76. Bell also said civilian casualties inside Russia have risen sharply as Ukraine has increasingly used long-range weapons against Russian territory. Citing reliable public sources in Russia, she said attacks in Russia killed 250 civilians and injured 1,596 in the first half, up 121% from a year earlier. Bell said a second factor behind the surge was the widespread use of short-range drones and glide bombs along the front line, adding that civilian casualties from short-range drones rose 65% in the first half.