Ukraine child casualties reach highest monthly levels since 2022

UNICEF has reported that child casualties in Ukraine reached their highest monthly levels since April 2022. In July, at least 17 children were killed and 166 were injured, representing a 49% increase compared to June.

Since the escalation of the conflict in February 2022, the United Nations has verified that 3,946 children have been killed or injured, though officials note the actual figure is likely much higher. Recent attacks have targeted residential areas, playgrounds, schools, and hospitals across regions including Chernihiv, Donetsk, Dnipro, Kharkiv, Kherson, Sumy, and Zaporizhzhia.

Specific recent incidents include a Russian attack on a shopping center in Kryvyi Rih on August 21, which killed at least 16 people and injured over 140, including 23 children. Another attack in Mykolaiv on the same day resulted in the deaths of three children. Anne-Claire Dufay, UNICEF Representative in Ukraine, stated that children are being killed in their homes and communities, calling for the protection of children and civilian infrastructure under international humanitarian law.