UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher said that July 2026 was the month with the highest number of civilian casualties in Ukraine in more than four years, Ukrinform reported, BTA reported.
He made this statement yesterday at a meeting of the UN Security Council on the occasion of Ukraine's Independence Day, an Ukrinform correspondent from New York reported.
“July was the deadliest month for civilians in more than four years – at least 437 people were killed and over 2,600 were injured. "The number of civilian casualties in the first half of this year has increased by 37% compared to the same period last year," Fletcher said.
He said he had visited Ukraine last week and had personally seen the effects of drone attacks on civilians in the southern city of Kherson.
He said the number of attacks by remotely controlled FPV (First Person View) drones had increased by 60% this year, often resulting in civilian casualties.
In the first half of the year, humanitarian organizations had provided assistance to more than 3 million people in Ukraine, he said.
As winter approached, the United Nations had launched a $358 million plan to provide assistance to 2 million people.
Fletcher also expressed concern about the escalation of the conflict in the Black Sea, which he said could have wider humanitarian consequences.
He called on Security Council members to actively defend compliance with international humanitarian law, prepare humanitarian organizations for the coming winter, and work with countries and companies that develop and use new military technologies.
Fletcher warned that “technology is outpacing responsibility“, and stressed that civilians need protection and assistance, but above all, an end to the war.
Earlier, more than 50 UN member states called on Russia to accept a complete, immediate, and unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine.