© OCHA/V. Andrievskaya Russia launched massive missile attacks on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities. (archive) UN Security Council for Ukraine: growing number of victims and threats to global food security Peace and Security
Since July 9 as a result of intensified air attacks by the Russian Federation, more than 170 Ukrainian civilians have reportedly been killed and another 1,028 injured. Kaeko Goto, Director of the Europe and Central Asia Division of the UN Department of Political Affairs, said this, speaking on Monday at a meeting of the Security Council convened at the request of Ukraine.
According to her, residential buildings, playgrounds, gas stations, markets and logistics warehouses are being hit. from constant shelling. Three people were injured,” Goto said. In total, in July, according to available data, at least 56 civilians were killed in Kiev, and another 232 were injured. Kharkov, Sumy, Kherson, Dnepropetrovsk and Zaporozhye regions.
Thus, on July 24, as a result of a strike on Slavyansk, at least six people were reportedly killed and another nine were injured. Residential buildings, businesses and the honorary consulate of Latvia were damaged. On July 11, aerial bombs were dropped on residential areas of Sumy, where five civilians were killed, including a girl, and another 41 people, including children, were injured.
“In recent weeks, the Odessa region has been particularly hard hit by repeated deadly strikes. The UN Office for Human Rights confirmed that at least 26 civilians were killed and 92 injured in the Odessa region this month alone,” Goto added.
According to the Office, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation, at least 16,431 civilians have been confirmed killed in Ukraine, including 803 children. Another 48,613 people, including 2,960 children, were injured. The UN emphasizes that these are only confirmed cases, and the real numbers are likely much higher.
Victims on both sides of the front line
According to Goto, the summer escalation is increasingly affecting the territories of Ukraine temporarily occupied by the Russian Federation. “On Saturday, the occupation authorities reported the death of 12 people, including five children, as a result of a drone attack on a tourist base in the Russian-occupied part of the Zaporozhye region of Ukraine,” she said she.
In the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol, which are under the control of the Russian Federation, Ukrainian drone strikes on electrical substations have reportedly led to prolonged power and water outages.
Russian authorities report an increase in the number of civilian casualties after Ukrainian attacks on oil, industrial and logistics infrastructure located on the territory of the Russian Federation. According to received on July 24 in the Kirov region, as a result of attacks on industrial and logistics facilities, at least six people were killed, more than two dozen more were injured. On July 18, Ukrainian drones, reportedly struck large warehouse complexes in the Tambov and Moscow regions. According to available information, eight people were killed and more than 60 were injured.
“Similar attacks have been reported almost daily since then,” Goto noted.In the first half of 2026, OHCHR recorded reports from Russian authorities of 1,846 civilian casualties in the Russian Federation— 250 dead and 1,596 injured. This represents a 121 percent increase over the same period last year.
“International humanitarian law clearly prohibits attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure,” Goto said.
“As we have stated repeatedly and consistently throughout all of our briefings, these attacks are unacceptable, unjustified and must stop. immediately. The UN continues to unequivocally condemn such attacks wherever they occur,” she added.
Port strikes and rising grain prices
The Organization also expressed serious concern about the intensification of Russian attacks on Ukrainian seaports. In July alone, more than six attacks on civilian ships were reported in the Odessa region, as a result of which, according to available data, 44 crew members were killed or injured. Many of the attacked ships sailed under the flags of third countries and transported food. Russia, according to the UN spokeswoman, has also stepped up attacks on food processing facilities, agricultural machinery and fields.
The speaker added that at the same time, Ukraine has expanded attacks on Russian and Russian-linked maritime logistics, including attacks on oil tankers. It is reported that more than 100 ships were attacked in the Sea of Azov in July alone.
According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), wheat prices have risen 20 percent since the beginning of the month and reached their highest level since March 2024. The UN warned that further disruptions to shipping in the Black and Azov Seas, as well as in other strategically important areas, could lead to rising costs of transportation, insurance, food and energy, which would have a particularly severe impact on the situation in import-dependent developing countries.
“We call for maximum restraint and avoidance of actions that jeopardize the safety of civilian shipping,” Goto said.
The need for diplomatic effort
The UN representative also recalled the continuing risks for the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant. On July 15, the International Atomic Energy Agency announced the 22nd complete shutdown of the plant from external power supply since the beginning of the war. Ten such incidents have occurred in the past three months alone. The IAEA also expressed concern about a series of drone attacks in the Energodar area, where a significant portion of the plant’s personnel live. Goto said the ongoing escalation, growing number of civilian casualties, destruction of civilian infrastructure and the global food security situation again highlight the need to step up diplomatic efforts.
Humanitarian organizations continue to work
Acting Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Indrika Ratwatte, speaking at the meeting on behalf of UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher, recalled that UN warehouses and other humanitarian facilities were damaged as a result of recent attacks on Ukraine. noted he noted that humanitarian organizations continue to work throughout the country.
For many Ukrainian communities, the speaker continued, this is the fourth summer passing under the constant threat of hostilities, while people also are anxiously thinking about the coming winter.
As the nature of fighting changes, Ratwatte said, aid organizations are having to constantly change the way they work.
“Every morning starts with the same question: how to reach people safely? It’s becoming increasingly difficult to answer,” said he.
Humanitarian cargo has to be moved, warehouses have to be moved, and convoy routes have to be revised. “The work changes, but its purpose remains the same,” emphasized Ratwatte.
Preparing for winter
At the same time, humanitarian organizations are already preparing for winter. They pre-position necessary supplies and help restore housing and critical infrastructure. Last week, the UN and its partners presented a Winter Response Plan for Ukraine. assistance.
“Wherever military operations take place, civilians, including humanitarian workers, must be protected. The infrastructure on which people’s lives depend should not be targeted. Humanitarian assistance must flow freely to all civilians in need,” he stressed.
US called for an immediate ceasefire
Speaking at the meeting, US Representative Dan Negrea drew attention to the strike on a civilian ship carrying grain in the Black Sea, which killed crew members – citizens of India and Syria. he.
The US representative again called for an immediate ceasefire and called on the Russian Federation and Ukraine to begin negotiations to achieve a lasting resolution to the conflict. He emphasized that Washington is ready to play a constructive role in this process.
The Russian Federation condemns Ukrainian attacks on civilians
“The Kiev regime continues its terrorist attacks against Russian civilians,” said Anna Evstigneeva, acting Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the UN, speaking at the meeting. According to her, during the period from July 13 to July 19, 364 people were injured, including 12 children, and 69 people were killed, including 2 children. Novorossiysk.
“We emphasize once again that the Russian Armed Forces strike exclusively at specific targets involved in supporting the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” said the representative of the Russian Federation.
Ukraine: Moscow is strengthening “illegal” attacks
Deputy Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the UN Vladimir Pavlichenko said that the international community allows the repetition of war crimes, which, according to him, are committed by the Russian Federation. He accused Moscow of “cynically fabricating pretexts” to justify its illegal aggression against Ukraine.
“Russia continues to deliberately target the places where ordinary people live, work and shop. This demonstrates a complete disregard for human life,” Pavlichenko said.
He stressed that the increase in Russian attacks is an “indisputable fact,” which, according to him, was confirmed by UN representatives who spoke at the meeting.