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August saw second-highest number of civilian casualties dealt by Russia to Ukraine this year, UN says

• 2 min read
August saw second-highest number of civilian casualties dealt by Russia to Ukraine this year, UN says
Rescue workers respond at the site of a Russian missile strike on a supermarket on Aug.10, 2024 in the town of Kostiantynivka, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. (Yan Dobronosov/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)

At least 184 civilians were killed and 856 injured in Ukraine in August, the U.N.'s human rights monitoring mission in Ukraine said in a report released on Sept. 6.

This August is the month with the second-highest number of civilian casualties in 2024. July was "the deadliest month for civilians" since October 2022, according to a previous report.

The vast majority of civilian casualties (91%) and damage to educational and health facilities (95%) continued to occur in the Ukraine-controlled territory in August, the report said.

A Russian missile strike hit a supermarket in the town of Kostiantynivka in Donetsk Oblast on Aug. 9, killing 14 people and injuring 44 others, local authorities said.

On Aug. 26, Russia launched the largest attack on Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, striking 15 oblasts across the country. At least 25 energy facilities were damaged, including part of the Kyiv Hydroelectric Power Plant, according to the report.

Eight civilians were killed, and at least 23 suffered injuries as a result of the attack.

Russian forces also struck Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-biggest city, with guided aerial bombs on Aug. 30, killing seven people and injuring over 90, according to authorities.

Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, the U.N. estimates that at least 11,743 civilians have been killed and at least 24,614 injured. The actual figure of civilian casualties is likely much higher.

The number of dead and injured in fighting immediately after the outbreak of the full-scale war has yet to be fully accounted for, and some of the places that saw the heaviest combat in early 2022 are still under Russian occupation, making it all but impossible for outside observers to investigate.

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Kateryna Denisova

Politics Reporter

Kateryna Denisova is the reporter for the Kyiv Independent, specializing in Ukrainian politics. Based in Kyiv, she focuses on domestic affairs, parliament, social and war-related issues. Kateryna began her career in journalism in 2020 and holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. She also studied at journalism schools in the Czech Republic and Germany.

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The latest announcement comes as Kyiv experienced widespread power outages on Oct. 8 following a Russian attack on Ukrainian energy infrastructure. Over 3 million residents in the capital lost power in what officials described as "an attack on one of the energy facilities important for the city of Kyiv."

The railway operator initially reported that the passenger train's driver suffered a leg injury and four passengers required medical attention. The crew of the electric locomotive was unharmed.

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"The government looks forward to the smooth resolution of all pending issues between the two countries and will continue consultations with the Ukrainian side to this end," the South Korean Foreign Ministry said in a press release.

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