Civilian deaths and injuries in the Russia-Ukraine war rose sharply in the first half of 2026, driven by a surge in short-range drone attacks, the United Nations said.
In Ukraine, 1,396 civilians were killed and 7,978 wounded from January through June — a 37% increase over the same period in 2025 and nearly double the 2024 toll, according to Danielle Bell, a representative of the U.N. human rights monitoring mission in Ukraine, speaking in Geneva. In Russia, 250 civilians were killed and 1,596 injured, marking a 121% increase over the first half of last year. Casualties from short-range drone strikes rose 65% in both countries.
Separately, India summoned Russia's charge d'affaires in New Delhi on July 21 after a Russian strike on July 19 killed 10 crew members, including four Indian nationals, aboard the cargo ship Golden Leo near Odesa.