UN sounds the alarm: in 8 months Russian attacks have taken more civilian lives than in the entire 2025 year

The UN is calling on the Russian Federation to stop strikes on populated areas of Ukraine, because in 8 months this year Russian strikes caused more civilian casualties than in the entire previous year. Meanwhile, Ukraine is preparing for a new wave of Russian aggression. Since February 2022, at least 17 257 civilians have been killed in Ukraine, including 835 children. Another 53 693 civilians, including 3 247 children, have been injured. The actual figures are likely much higher. The highest number of civilian casualties was recorded in September 2026, said UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs and Peacebuilding Rosemary DiCarlo, writes Ukrinform. She recalled that for weeks Kyiv and other cities endured almost daily Russian attacks during which civilians were killed and homes and critical infrastructure were destroyed. In recent weeks the railway infrastructure, shopping centers, gas stations, warehouses, and food and logistics companies have been hit several times. The deputy secretary-general emphasized that systematic strikes on critical civilian infrastructure are making the everyday life of millions of Ukrainians increasingly dangerous. Attacks directed against civilians and civilian infrastructure are prohibited, she reminded. “With another war winter approaching, the intensification of attacks targeting an already damaged energy infrastructure of Ukraine is of particular concern. The cumulative impact of these strikes could plunge millions of people into darkness and cold in the coming months,” the deputy secretary-general stressed. She called for doing everything possible to prevent further deterioration of the humanitarian situation and for urgent measures to stop attacks on energy infrastructure and an immediate moratorium on all strikes on populated areas. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said at a UN General Assembly session that this year alone the Russian army has lost 248 964 servicemembers on the battlefield in Ukraine. And since the start of the year Russia has launched over 2 thousand rockets of various types and 63 thousand attack drones against Ukraine, he emphasized. Recall that Ukraine agreed to a full, immediate, and unconditional ceasefire. At the same time 51 — a UN member state — called on Russia to take a similar step and agree to cease hostilities without additional conditions.