Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict — July 2024

Summary 

• At least 219 civilians were killed and 1,018 injured in Ukraine in July, which makes it the deadliest month for civilians since October 2022. The high number of casualties in July continues a trend of increasing civilian casualties since March 2024. 

• A large-scale coordinated attack launched by the Russian armed forces across Ukraine on 8 July killed at least 43 civilians, including 5 children, and injured 147, including 7 children, in Kyiv City, Dnipro City, Kryvyi Rih (Dnipropetrovsk region) and Kyiv region. One missile in the 8 July attack also struck a hospital complex in Kyiv City, completely destroying the toxicology department of the Okhmatdyt National Children’s Hospital and significantly damaging the Center for Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery. 

• In June and July, the most intensive offensive military operations by the Russian armed forces shifted from northern Kharkiv region to the Donetsk region. As a result, verified civilian casualties in Donetsk region increased from 125 civilians killed or injured in May to 224 in June and 269 in July 2024. 

• The vast majority of civilian casualties (90 per cent) and damage to educational and health facilities (86 per cent) continued to occur in Government-controlled territory.