UN has reported sharp rise in number of civilian casualties in Ukraine due to attacks by Russian Federation
Since the beginning of July, more than 170 civilians have been killed and a further 1,028 people have been injured as a result of Russian air strikes in Ukraine.
According to Censor.NET, this was mentioned in a statement by Kayoko Goto, Head of the UN Department of Political Affairs, at a Security Council meeting, as reported by Ukrinform.
Attacks on towns and rising casualty figures
According to a spokesperson for the UN, residential buildings, children’s playgrounds, petrol stations, markets and logistics warehouses are coming under fire. Kyiv remains under constant attack.
In July, at least 56 civilians were killed in the capital, and a further 232 people were injured. Daily strikes involving guided aerial bombs are also being recorded in communities near the front line in the Donetsk, Kharkiv, Sumy, Kherson, Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia regions.
In total, since the start of the full-scale invasion, at least 16,141 civilians have been confirmed killed, including 803 children. A further 48,613 people have been injured, of whom 2,960 are children. There are also reports of civilian casualties in the temporarily occupied territories.
"These attacks are unacceptable, completely unjustifiable and must be stopped immediately. The UN consistently and unequivocally condemns such attacks, wherever they may occur," emphasised Kayoko Goto.
The threat to ports and global grain prices
A UN spokesperson has stated that Russia’s new wave of attacks on Black Sea ports and merchant ships poses serious risks to global food security. The ports of Odesa, Chornomorsk, Pivdenne, Izmail and Mykolaiv are under attack.
Over the course of the month, more than six attacks on civilian vessels were recorded, resulting in the deaths or injuries of 44 crew members.
According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, global wheat prices have risen by 20 per cent since the start of the month, reaching their highest level since March 2024.
Concerns were also raised specifically about the situation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station. On 15 July, the station experienced its 22nd complete loss of external power supply since the start of the war, with ten such incidents having occurred in the last three months.
Goto called on the parties to resume diplomatic efforts and negotiations with a view to de-escalating the situation and achieving a full ceasefire.
The UN had previously stated that in June, the number of civilian casualties in Ukraine reached its highest level since April 2022.
