August Becomes Ukraine’s Second Deadliest Month in 2024, Says UN

At least 184 civilians were killed and 856 injured due to Russian aggression in Ukraine during August, marking the month as the second deadliest for civilian casualties in 2024, according to a report from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). The report highlights an increase in civilian deaths, driven by several mass casualty incidents, including in Kostiantynivka and Kharkiv, as well as daily shelling along the front lines, particularly in the Donetsk region.

The UN report states that the majority of civilian casualties (91%) and damage to educational and healthcare facilities (95%) occurred in government-controlled areas. Among the casualties, 10 people were killed, and 84 were injured in Russian-occupied territories.

Educational and healthcare infrastructure also suffered significant damage in August, with 13 educational institutions destroyed and 38 damaged. Two medical facilities were destroyed, while 28 others were damaged.

Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022, a total of 11,743 civilians have been killed, and 24,614 have been injured as a result of the war, according to UN estimates.

The UN also attributes the majority of August’s civilian casualties to missile, bomb, and artillery strikes, with two civilians killed by landmines.