UN reports 15,000 Ukrainian civilian casualties in 2026, a 55% rise

UN human rights chief Volker Turk reported that over 15,000 Ukrainian civilians were killed or injured in the first eight months of 2026, a 55% increase compared to the same period in 2025. Turk told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva that weekly civilian casualties averaged over 400, driven by intensified Russian attacks on infrastructure. He also cited "shocking" levels of sexual violence, attributing 89% of 1,004 documented cases to Russian forces. The UN office documented nearly 2,500 civilian casualties from Russian aerial bombardments, a 62% rise from the previous year. Turk described the war as a growing human rights catastrophe causing widespread fear among the Ukrainian population.