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Scoop
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
UN Warns Of Record Civilian Casualties In Ukraine
10 July 2025 Russian forces launched an attack overnight focused on Kyiv, deploying 397 Shahed unmanned attack and decoy drones, along with 18 high-powered missiles, killing two and injuring at least 16, according to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU). UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric noted during his daily briefing in New York that four Kyiv districts were hit, damaging residential buildings, a clinic and a TV station, while an outpatient clinic was destroyed during the bombardment. Mr. Dujarric also relayed reports from local authorities of recent attacks in other regions which left more than nine dead and at least ten civilians injured. Grim June record These attacks come after June saw the highest monthly civilian casualty count in Ukraine since the Russian invastion began in February 2022, with 232 people killed and 1,343 injured. This data reflects a worsening trend: 6,754 civilians were killed or injured in the first half of 2025 – a sharp 54 per cent rise compared to the same period in 2024, when 4,381 civilian casualties were documented. This breaks down to a 17 per cent increase in civilian deaths and a 64 per cent increase in injuries. Russia's increased use of long-range missiles and drones in urban areas – and their enhanced destructive power – were key drivers behind the spike in casualties. The growing number of attacks also played a crucial role, as Russia launched ten times more missile and unmanned drone strikes in June 2025 than in June 2024. ' Civilians across Ukraine are facing levels of suffering we have not seen in over three years,' said Danielle Bell, Head of HRMMU. 'The surge in long-range missile and drone strikes across the country has brought even more death and destruction to civilians far from the frontline.' Child suffering intensifies Also on Thursday, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) reported that an estimated 70 per cent of children in Ukraine (3.5 million) are experiencing 'material deprivation' – up from 18 per cent in 2021. Material deprivation refers to a lack of essential goods and services, including nutritious food, appropriate clothing, heating at home and access to education. According to UNICEF's report, one in three children in Ukraine lives in a home without a functioning water supply or sewage system, and nearly half lack access to a space to play. This deprivation is driven by continued attacks on infrastructure – including water, sanitation, and energy systems – as well as on homes, schools, and healthcare facilities, along with rising poverty across the country. Looking towards recovery These warnings come as the fourth Ukraine Recovery Conference opened in Rome on Thursday. It aims to build global awareness and maintain momentum for international support and investment in Ukraine's recovery, rebuilding, reform, and modernisation. The Director General of the UN migration agency (IOM), Amy Pope, is among those attending. The agency plays a major role in Ukraine, where nearly four million people remain internally displaced, and another five million refugees reside across Europe. 'Displacement on this scale imposes numerous challenges for Ukraine and its people,' she said. 'Recovery must begin with a focus on the people in need – connecting them to services and restoring their livelihoods, so it becomes more than just returning home, but about regaining their place in society.'
Saudi Gazette
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
Deadly new Russian drone and missile attack hits Kyiv
KYIV — A massive overnight Russian attack has hit Ukraine's capital Kyiv, killing at least two people and injuring 16, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said. The attack involved 18 missiles and about 400 drones, primarily targeting the capital, Zelensky added. Residents' sleep was interrupted for three hours as drones and missiles converged on the capital. Authorities in Kyiv said drone wreckage struck the roof of a residential building and fires burned across the city. In June, Ukraine recorded the highest monthly civilian casualties in three years, with 232 people killed and 1,343 injured, according to the UN. In the early hours of Thursday morning, Ukraine's police reported that Russian drone strikes had hit eight districts in Kyiv. "Residential buildings, vehicles, warehouses, office and non-residential buildings are burning," administration head Tymur Tkachenko said in a post on Telegram. Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko confirmed that a 68-year-old woman and a 22-year-old police officer at a metro station had been killed. In Kyiv's Podilsky district, a primary healthcare centre was "almost completely destroyed", Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko said. City residents were urged to shelter until the air raid siren was lifted, and also close windows when they returned to their homes because there was a "lot of smoke" in Kyiv. Overnight, Ukraine's air force reported a threat of Russian drone attacks in a number of regions. It was not immediately clear whether there were any casualties outside Kyiv. Russia's military has not commented on the reported latest attack. It followed what Ukraine described as the largest Russian aerial attack on Tuesday night, when 728 drones and 13 cruise or ballistic missiles struck cities across the country. In June, Russia launched ten times more "missile and loitering munitions attacks" against Ukraine than in June last year, the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission (HRMMU) in Ukraine reported. Civilians were killed or injured in at least 16 regions of the country and in Kyiv, the HRMMU said. "Civilians across Ukraine are facing levels of suffering we have not seen in over three years," Ms Danielle Bell, head of the HRMMU, said. "The surge in long-range missile and drone strikes across the country has brought even more death and destruction to civilians far away from the frontline." Late on Wednesday, three people were killed in a Russian air strike in the town of Kostiantynivka, close to the front line in eastern Ukraine, the country's emergency service DSNS said. "Russia is obviously stepping up terror," Zelensky said. "It is necessary to be faster with sanctions and pressure Russia so that it feels the outcomes of its own terror. Our partners need to act faster investing in weapons production and developing tech." He said that on Thursday, he would be speaking to partners about additional financing for producing interceptor drones and air defence supplies. The US had resumed sending some weapons to Ukraine, Reuters reported late on Wednesday, days after it halted shipments of some critical air defence arms. The latest attack underlines just how remote the prospects of a diplomatic breakthrough seem to have become. On Wednesday, Germany's Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, said diplomacy had been exhausted. The Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, spoke in similar terms earlier in the week. And US President Donald Trump seems increasingly impatient with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. "We get a lot of bull
Scoop
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Short-Range Drone Attacks Deepen Crisis On Ukrainian Frontlines
27 June 2025 According to the rights mission, while the majority (89 per cent) of civilian casualties were documented in Ukrainian-controlled territory as a result of attacks by the Russian armed forces, the remaining occurred in territory occupied by Russian authorities, including in attacks that struck public transport and clearly marked ambulances. While individually less destructive than artillery or missiles, 'the sheer scale and increasing frequency of short-range drone attacks have made them one of the deadliest weapons in Ukraine,' said Danielle Bell, Head of HRMMU. Not compliant with laws of war Forcing residents to drastically restrict their movements, limiting access to essential goods and affecting livelihoods, the large number of short-range drone attacks exacerbated an already dire humanitarian situation. Most short-range drones have on-board cameras that provide operators with a real-time view of potential targets. However, the high number of civilian casualties resulting from drone attacks suggests that these weapons have been deployed in ways that violate international humanitarian law, in particular the principles of distinction and precaution, HRMMU noted. In some instances, drone operators appear to have intentionally attacked civilians or civilian objects, including medical transport and personnel, which would amount to war crimes, it added. 'It is clear that these weapons are not being used in compliance with the laws of war,' Ms. Bell said. Call for accountability Information verified by the mission showed that the number of civilian casualties from short-range drones steadily increased in late 2023 and early 2024, before spiking in July 2024 and reaching record numbers in April 2025. Casualties continued in May and June, such as during a strike on a minibus in Kostiantynivka, Donetsk region, on 23 June, in which the 65-year-old driver was killed. On 22 May, a 58-year-old woman, a local volunteer, was killed in a frontline village in Kharkiv region when a drone dropped a munition on the balcony of a two-story residential building, according to the HRMMU. 'Each of these attacks must be investigated,' Ms. Bell said. 'Those responsible for targeting civilians and humanitarian personnel must be held to account.'
Scoop
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
UN Rights Mission Condemns Civilian Toll In Deadly Missile Strikes On Ukraine
25 June 2025 At least 24 people were reported killed and over 300 injured – including 32 children – when ballistic missiles struck Ukraine's Dnipro and Odesa regions on Monday and Tuesday, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) said on Wednesday. The attacks destroyed homes, schools, hospitals, and other civilian infrastructure, and left hundreds wounded. 'The attacks struck during the day when civilians were at work, on trains, or at school,' said Danielle Bell, head of HRMMU. 'The timing alone made the high number of civilian casualties entirely foreseeable.' On 23 June, two ballistic missiles launched by Russian forces hit Lyceum No. 1, a middle school in Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, Odesa region. Although the school year had ended, staff and students were present for administrative work. The strike killed three educators and injured 14 others, including two boys. The school, which served over 700 students, sustained critical damage. No military objective HRMMU, which visited the attacks sites, reported no evidence of military presence at the school, and people confirmed that no military presence had been stationed there. 'The school in Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi was not a military objective,' Ms. Bell said. 'Yet it was hit by two ballistic missiles, killing educators and injuring children.' The following day, 24 June, missiles struck an industrial area of Dnipro city at around 11 AM local time. The blast shattered windows in nearby schools, hospitals and residential buildings. HRMMU confirmed that two dormitories were hit, injuring numerous residents. A nearby passenger train was also impacted – windows blown out by the shockwave – injuring more than 20 travellers, according to a UN monitor onboard. A troubling trend These strikes followed a series of other attacks in June that have resulted in significant civilian harm, including in Kyiv city on 17 and 23 June, according to the human rights mission. Civilian casualties in the first five months of 2025 were nearly 50 percent higher than during the same period last year, with increases typically seen during the summer months. 'Ballistic missiles, when used in densely populated areas, cause predictable and widespread harm to civilians, as demonstrated by these recent attacks,' Ms. Bell said. 'The rising civilian casualties reflect the severity of that risk.'
Egypt Independent
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Egypt Independent
28 killed in deadliest Russian strikes on Kyiv in almost a year
CNN — Russia launched a barrage of hundreds of drones and missiles on Kyiv overnight, killing more than 20 people in one of its biggest attacks on the Ukrainian capital. The State Emergency Service of Ukraine said at least 28 people were killed in Kyiv, and 134 were injured. One strike hit a multi-story residential building, splitting it in two and leaving a huge gap where dozens of homes were just moments before. The Emergency Service said 23 bodies had been pulled out of the rubble as of Wednesday morning. Victoria, who lives in the building and didn't want to share her last name, said she spent part of the night sheltering in her bathroom, the safest place in the apartment, listening to Russian drones flying overhead. When she thought the attack was over, she went back to bed – only to be woken by a loud explosion. 'The windows were blown out. It was very scary. Adrenaline was pumping. Just survival instincts. I tried to get out of the apartment, but my neighbors' doors were blocking my door,' she told CNN, adding that she only realized her building had been hit when her neighbors managed to clear the door and she fled to the street. 'I thought I was ready to die and wasn't afraid of anything. But today I realized that I'm scared. For the first time, I was scared,' said Victoria, who fled her home in Luhansk in eastern Ukraine after Russia occupied it in 2014. Oleksandr Ustenko, who lives with his family on the second floor of the same building, told CNN he heard drones flying overhead throughout the night. 'Then we heard a sound of a missile. At some point, everything started shaking, the ceiling shook, and the door was blown out,' he said, adding that as they ran into the hallway, everything around them was on fire. 'We barely made it to the street. We are still here. The apartment is almost destroyed, our car is destroyed.' The Russian assault was the deadliest on the capital in almost a year, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) said on Tuesday. The ministry said rescue operations were ongoing as of Tuesday evening, as more people were believed to be in the rubble. Two other people were killed in attacks on the southern port city of Odessa. 'Last night's attack was the fourth time this month that Russian armed forces launched more than 400 munitions in a single night. By comparison, Russian armed forces launched 544 long-range munitions during the entire month in June 2024,' the HRMMU said in a statement. Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko said in a Telegram post that residential buildings and other infrastructure were severely damaged. 'We hope that no dead will be found under the rubble, but we cannot rule it out,' he added. 'The death toll may increase.' Klitschko said in the message that a US citizen was killed in the Solomyanskyi district of Kyiv overnight. The mayor said the person was 62 years old and 'died in a house opposite to the one where medics were providing assistance to the victims,' without giving any more details. Later Tuesday, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce confirmed a US citizen was among those killed in Kyiv. 'We condemn those strikes and extend our deepest condolences to the victims and to the families of all those affected,' Bruce said at a State Department briefing, adding the department was 'ready to provide all possible consular assistance' to the family of the American who was killed. Despite the civilian deaths and evidence of direct strikes on residential buildings, the Russian defense ministry said on Tuesday that it targeted 'military-industrial complex facilities in the Kyiv region and Zaporizhzhia.' The Ukrainian Air Force said 440 drones and 32 missiles were launched at Ukraine overnight and added that it manage to destroy 428 of them. Russia has ramped up its airborne attacks against Ukraine in recent weeks, launching as many as 479 drones and missiles in a single night. Ukrainian officials say these assaults are not just bigger and more frequent; they are also more concentrated and executed in a way that makes them a lot more difficult to combat – as they are flown at higher altitudes, out of reach of machine guns. A Russian drone attacks a building during Russia's massive missile and drone air attack in Kyiv, Ukraine on June 17, 2025. Efrem Lukatsky/AP Some 27 locations in different districts of Kyiv came under fire in the latest attack, according to a statement from Ukraine's Minister of Internal Affairs, Ihor Klymenko. 'Rescuers, police and medics are working. They are doing everything they can to help the victims, clear the rubble and save lives,' he said. The strikes come as US President Donald Trump announced he would return to Washington a day early from the Group of 7 summit in Canada. His early departure means he will miss a key meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the event. It would have been the leaders' third meeting since Trump took office in January. Ukrainian officials had been hoping that a positive interaction with Trump could advance Kyiv's case amid Moscow's intensifying attacks. Meanwhile, Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu arrived in Pyongyang on a 'special mission' from Russian leader Vladimir Putin, according to Russian state news agency TASS. Shoigu is scheduled to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Tass reported Tuesday. Pyongyang has continued support for Moscow's war on Ukraine as world leaders push for an end to the three-year conflict. North Korea has sent soldiers and millions of munitions, including missiles and rockets, to Russia over the past year, according to a May report by an international watchdog, the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team. The US has warned that Russia may be close to sharing advanced space and satellite technology with North Korea in exchange for continued support for the war in Ukraine. Under Trump, the US has been less willing to equip badly outgunned Ukraine directly, has pushed European partners to pick up more of the support and threatened to walk away altogether from peace talks. This story has been updated.
