UN Confirms Surge in Civilian Casualties as Moscow and Kyiv Trade Drone and Missile Attacks on Day 1,233 of the War
Kyiv/Moscow – On day 1,233 of the Russia-Ukraine war, intensified aerial attacks by both sides have pushed civilian casualties to a grim new high, with June recording the most deaths and injuries in over two years, according to the United Nations.
The UN confirmed that at least 232 civilians were killed and 1,343 wounded in June 2025 – the highest combined toll since April 2022. The spike in violence has coincided with key international events, including a donor conference in Rome where Ukraine secured billions in aid, and high-level U.S.-Russia discussions marred by American frustration over Moscow’s continued aggression.
In the latest wave of Russian strikes, two people were killed and 26 injured as Moscow launched a massive aerial assault on Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the barrage involved around 400 drones and 18 missiles, primarily aimed at Kyiv.
Russia’s Ministry of Defence claimed its strikes targeted “military-industrial” facilities and airfields in Kyiv, denying it was aiming at civilians. However, urban centers continue to bear the brunt of these attacks, adding to the already devastating toll on civilian life.
Across the border, Russian officials reported increasing Ukrainian drone attacks. In Moscow, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said air defences downed four drones, prompting temporary airport shutdowns at Domodedovo, Vnukovo, and Zhukovsky. All three later resumed operations.
In western Russia’s Kursk region, a man was killed in his home by a Ukrainian drone, days after four people died in a similar strike on a beach. The Russian Defence Ministry also claimed to have downed 14 drones over Bryansk, eight over Belgorod, and 26 more over Kursk and Bryansk.
Adding to the diplomatic fallout, the Vatican’s embassy in Kyiv sustained minor damage during the Russian strikes. Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas, the Vatican’s representative in Ukraine, reported seeing drones in the air and hearing explosions nearby.
As both nations escalate their tactics with advanced drone warfare and long-range missile strikes, civilians continue to pay the heaviest price—underscoring the war’s persistent humanitarian cost even as international efforts to end the conflict stall.