Since the beginning of russia’s invasion of Ukraine, at least 16,874 civilians have been killed. This was stated by UN Deputy Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo at a UN Security Council meeting, “The Moscow Times” Telegram channel reported on August 25.
It is noted that among the victims of russia’s aggression in Ukraine are 820 children. Another 51,273 civilians, including 3,126 minors, were wounded.
DiCarlo emphasized that the actual number of people killed and injured is likely “significantly higher”, as the UN cannot independently verify data from a number of territories where fighting is ongoing or which are under russian control.
At the same time, DiCarlo drew attention to the fact that the number of civilian casualties has continued to rise in recent months. In July, at least 437 civilians, including 17 children, were killed in Ukraine, and 2,610 were wounded. This was the highest monthly figure since May 2022.
In August, russian forces intensified large-scale strikes on Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure, DiCarlo noted. On August 1, nine civilians were killed in Kyiv as a result of an attack involving ballistic missiles and drones, on August 5 — 18, and on August 20 — 17. In addition, on August 21, 16 people were killed and at least 140 were wounded, including 23 children, in a strike on the largest shopping mall in Kryvyi Rih.