Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict — September 2024

Summary
• At least 208 civilians were killed and 1,220 injured in Ukraine in September, making it the month with the highest number of civilian casualties (killed and injured) in 2024, continuing a trend of higher civilian casualties that started in July. Nine children were killed and 76 injured. Forty-six per cent of those killed were older than 60 years.

• Attacks using missiles across the country and aerial glide bombs, particularly against the cities of Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia, contributed to the high casualty numbers.

• Near the frontline, attacks with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) accounted for a large portion of the casualties. In the part of Kherson region controlled by the Government of Ukraine, half of civilian casualties were caused by UAV attacks. UAVs also caused civilian harm in occupied Donetsk and Horlivka (Donetsk region).

• The vast majority of civilian casualties (92 per cent) and damage to educational and health facilities (96 per cent) in September continued to occur in territory controlled by Ukraine.

• At least 30 attacks damaged or destroyed energy infrastructure (25 in territory controlled by Ukraine and 5 in territory occupied by the Russian Federation).