Ukraine Suffers Most Civilian Casualties In 3 Years As Russia Ramps Up Aerial Attacks

Russia launched much aerial attacks connected Ukraine successful June than successful immoderate different period of nan warfare truthful far, causing nan highest number of civilians killed aliases wounded since nan conflict collapsed out much than 3 years ago, according to a tally by nan United Nations and independent researchers.

The onslaught of equipped drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles raining down connected Ukrainian towns and cities has underscored Russia’s determination to property connected pinch its warfare against Ukraine contempt President Donald Trump’s efforts to halt nan bloodshed.

The Russian aerial attacks person been steadily expanding since July 2024, pinch nan number of strikes exceeding 2,500 successful each of nan first six months of this year, according to nan nonprofit Institute for nan Study of War, which cited figures from Ukraine’s defense ministry.

The quality complete nan aforesaid play past twelvemonth is stark.

Between January and June, Russian drone and rocket attacks numbered 23,245, a astir 605 % summation compared to nan aforesaid play past twelvemonth erstwhile location were 3,300, according to nan Washington-based institute.

The description was driven by a monolithic summation successful drone assaults, which jumped from 2,264 successful nan first half of 2024 to 22,495 successful nan first half of 2025, according to nan tally.

As a consequence of those aerial attacks, nan toll of civilians killed and wounded accrued to 6,719, up astir 53% from nan aforesaid play successful 2024, according to U.N. monitors. The civilian toll included 1,091 deaths and 5,628 wounded.

“Civilians crossed Ukraine are facing levels of suffering we person not seen successful complete 3 years,” Danielle Bell, caput of nan U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission successful Ukraine, said successful a statement. “The surge successful long-range rocket and drone strikes crossed nan state has brought moreover much decease and demolition to civilians acold distant from nan frontline.”

June marked nan highest monthly civilian casualty toll successful 3 years, pinch 232 killed and 1,343 wounded, according to nan United Nations.

In nan period of June, Russian forces fired 5,681 drones and missiles connected Ukraine – nan highest number since Russia’s full-scale penetration successful February 2022. The aerial battle included 5,438 drones and 243 missiles, according to nan Institute for nan Study of War.

Russia has kept up nan tempo of drone and rocket attacks successful July, forcing Ukrainians successful cities to seek shelter underground successful subway stations. Smoke roseate over Kyiv connected Wednesday and Thursday nighttime from Russian drone and rocket strikes that ignited fires and destroyed flat buildings, NBC News and The Associated Press reported from nan capital.

On Wednesday night, Russia fired much than 700 onslaught and decoy drones connected Ukraine, on pinch missiles. On Thursday night, 397 Iranian-designed Shahed and decoy drones were launched against Kyiv and different regions, according to Ukrainian officials.

With Russian troops incapable to people a breakthrough connected nan crushed contempt a important manpower advantage, Moscow has stepped up its rocket and drone attacks connected nan country’s cities to effort to overwhelm aerial defenses, undermine nan resoluteness of nan authorities successful Kyiv earlier immoderate bid talks, and break nan will of nan wider population, existent and erstwhile Western diplomats say.

“These attacks are connected civilian targets, truthful it’s an effort to demoralize Ukrainians, to person Ukrainians that they can’t win,” said William Taylor, a erstwhile profession U.S. diplomat who served successful Kyiv.

Christina Harward, a Russian expert astatine nan Institute for nan Study of War, said erstwhile attempts by Russia to harm morale person failed. The aerial attacks besides indicated Russia’s weapons accumulation and stockpiles had increased, particularly long-range drones, Harward said.

“Russia whitethorn besides beryllium trying to distract from nan battlefield, wherever Russian gains connected nan beforehand are still comparatively slow and are coming astatine immense unit costs,” she said.

Before he took agency successful January, Trump had pledged to extremity nan warfare successful “a day.” He initially suggested that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his authorities were nan main obstacle to bringing an extremity to nan conflict, which began pinch Russia’s penetration of nan Crimean peninsula successful 2014 and its full-scale penetration of Ukraine successful February 2022.

But successful caller days, Trump’s reside has shifted, pinch nan president expressing impatience and vexation pinch Russian President Vladimir Putin for offering what he called “meaningless” moves toward peace.