In the summer of 2024, the number of casualties among the civilian population of Ukraine increased significantly due to intense hostilities caused by the Russian invasion. During this period, 589 civilians died, and another 2,685 people were injured. This is 45% more than in the spring of 2024, when the death and injury rate was much lower. About this reported the press secretary of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Liz Trosell, during the briefing.
According to Trosell, this jump in the number of victims is explained by the intensification of hostilities in eastern and southern Ukraine, where Russian forces continue massive attacks on civilian infrastructure and residential areas. In addition, the UN predicts that September will also be marked by high civilian casualties due to increased military operations.
In particular, the cities of Sumy, Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia were hit, where numerous objects of civil infrastructure were damaged or completely destroyed, including schools, hospitals, residential buildings and facilities for the elderly. In addition, attacks on critical facilities, such as energy infrastructure and transport hubs, significantly complicated the lives of civilians.
In response to these threats, the government of Ukraine conducted large-scale evacuation operations, moving thousands of people from frontline areas to safer regions. Despite this, many citizens still remain in danger zones, prompting human rights organizations to call on the international community to provide more humanitarian aid.
In addition, in August, according to the UN, 184 civilians, including eight children, died as a result of hostilities. 856 civilians were injured.
The UN and other international organizations continue to call for an end to violence and to ensure the protection of the civilian population, in particular through compliance with the norms of international humanitarian law. The human rights situation in Ukraine remains critical, and further escalation of the conflict could lead to even greater civilian casualties.
Trosell also emphasized the need for increased support from the international community, in particular, in providing humanitarian corridors for affected regions and providing medical and psychological assistance to civilians in the war zone.
