The United Nations has published an alarming assessment of the consequences of the war in Ukraine during 2026, highlighting a significant increase in civilian casualties.
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According to UN data, more than 400 civilians were killed or wounded every week during the first eight months of this year. Compared with the same period in 2025, the number of casualties increased by 55 percent.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk disclosed the figures during a briefing to the Human Rights Council in Geneva. He said the organization had documented 15,280 civilians killed or wounded in the first eight months of the year, following an escalation in Russian attacks on civilian infrastructure.
The situation is particularly severe in areas near the front line, where Russian airstrikes have caused the deaths or injuries of around 2,500 civilians. This represents an increase of 62 percent compared with last year.
“The war in Ukraine is a growing and intensifying human rights catastrophe, week after week, causing unimaginable suffering for civilians and threatening an even greater catastrophe across the region,” Türk said.
He stressed that strikes on schools, health centers, residential buildings, railway lines and shops are causing an ever-increasing number of casualties. According to him, Ukraine’s population is facing a “constant state of fear.”
The UN office has also raised concerns over the “shocking” levels of sexual violence against civilians and prisoners of war. Türk accused the Russian Federation of using “such abhorrent acts to torture, intimidate and coerce individuals and communities.”
