As Russian airstrikes intensify, civilian casualties in Ukraine this month have reached their highest level since the early days of the full-scale war in 2022.
CNN reported on July 26, citing Ukrainian government figures, that at least 377 civilians have died and 2,129 have been injured due to Russian attacks this month. The total number of casualties stands at 2,506, marking the highest monthly toll since April 2022. This figure is a preliminary count from the Ukrainian government and has not been verified by the United Nations.
Russia has recently continued its attacks on major Ukrainian cities, including the capital Kyiv, using ballistic missiles, drones, and guided bombs.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that over the past week, Russia has launched approximately 1,700 drones, more than 1,630 guided bombs, and over 50 ballistic missiles.
In the early hours of July 26, Russian forces deployed seven ballistic missiles and 136 drones to attack various locations in Ukraine, including Kyiv, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhzhia. These attacks resulted in at least six deaths and numerous injuries.
In northern Chernihiv, a drone strike hit a supermarket, killing two people, including a child, and injuring 25 others. In eastern Kharkiv, one person was killed and 16 were injured, while in southern Zaporizhzhia, a glide bomb attack resulted in one death and six injuries.
In eastern Sloviansk, two employees of the state energy company Naftogaz, who were assisting residents affected by previous airstrikes, were killed in a subsequent attack. In Kyiv, a missile strike ignited a fire in a high-rise apartment building, injuring three people.
President Zelensky emphasized that Russia is expanding its use of ballistic missile attacks that are difficult to intercept and called on the U.S. and Europe to provide additional air defense systems, including Patriots. He stated on X (formerly Twitter), "Each interceptor missile in Ukraine's air defense can save lives and should not be sitting in allied warehouses."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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