UN decries expanding civilian toll as Russian strikes hit new Ukrainian towns

Russian airstrikes overnight in the Chernihiv region left at least 19 dead, among them five children in the town of Pryluky, three of them infants. Residential buildings were hit, leaving more than 50 injured. Simultaneously, attacks in Kremenchuk, Kyiv and Oleksandriia resulted in around 25 additional deaths and dozens of injuries. The spread of violence into densely populated areas far from the front line raises the risk of a continuing rise in civilian harm, as families confront the threat of their homes being reduced to rubble and the loss of young lives.

The recent wave of attacks also targeted medical services. An airstrike on a hospital in Kryvyi Rih injured several health workers, while ambulances in Kramatorsk were struck in separate raids. Ukrainian Red Cross personnel were wounded while traveling to assist victims of an attack in Zaporizhzhia. UN officials reiterated that civilians, children, homes and essential infrastructure are protected under international humanitarian law, condemning these violations as unlawful and highlighting how injuries to health staff further strain the capacity to treat the wounded and provide routine care.

UN data show that 15,280 civilians have been killed or injured in Ukraine during the first eight months of 2026, and humanitarian teams reported more than 150 civilian casualties in the latest 24‑hour period. In response, the UN and its partners have assisted 1.5 million people affected by strikes across the country since the start of the year. The Secretary‑General’s office and UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric called for an immediate end to attacks on civilians and essential services, stressing that such actions breach international humanitarian law and must stop.