Ukraine suffers most civilian casualties in 3 years as Russia ramps up aerial attacks

Russia launched more aerial attacks on Ukraine in June than in any other month of the war so far, causing a record number of civilian casualties.

Russia launched more aerial attacks on Ukraine in June than in any other month of the war so far, causing the highest number of civilians killed or wounded since the conflict broke out more than three years ago, according to a tally by the United Nations and independent researchers.

The onslaught of armed drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles raining down on Ukrainian towns and cities has underscored Russia’s determination to press on with its war against Ukraine despite President Donald Trump’s efforts to halt the bloodshed.

The Russian aerial attacks have been steadily increasing since July 2024, with the number of strikes exceeding 2,500 in each of the first six months of this year, according to the nonprofit Institute for the Study of War, which cited figures from Ukraine’s defense ministry.

The difference over the same period last year is stark.

Between January and June, Russian drone and missile attacks numbered 23,245, a roughly 605 % increase compared to the same period last year when there were 3,300, according to the Washington-based institute.