Ukraine civilian casualties surge as Russia intensifies strikes

Daryna Krasnolutska, Bloomberg News on Oct 16, 2026

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Civilian casualties in Ukraine jumped by 85% in September as Russia increased drone and missile attacks, according to the United Nations.

At least 328 civilians were killed and 2,105 injured in attacks last month, U.N. human rights monitors said in their monthly report on Friday. It was the highest September total since the start of Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion, with missiles and drones the main cause of casualties, they said.

“The intensification of attacks by the Russian Federation across Ukraine in September continued a pattern of civilian casualties in 2026 far exceeding levels verified in previous years, with devastating consequences for civilians,” the monitoring mission said.

Russia has stepped up attacks on Ukrainian cities in recent weeks, striking energy and water infrastructure as well as logistics centers and residential districts, as Ukraine appeals to U.S. and European allies for help to strengthen its depleted air defenses.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy this week accused U.S. President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk of restraining access to SpaceX’s satellite technology that Kyiv uses to launch interceptors against Russian jet-powered drones. That followed a Russian attack involving 39 ballistic missiles and more than 120 attack drones targeting electricity plants.

Normal service on the Starshield network has now resumed. Musk said in a post on X that Starshield systems are “owned and controlled by the US government,” with decisions about their use made by the U.S. military and ultimately by Trump. A senior U.S. official said Trump had not ordered any limitations on Ukraine’s access to the technology.

Total Ukrainian civilian casualties in the first nine months of this year were almost 60% higher than in the same period in 2025 and more than twice the level of 2024, according to the U.N.’s report. There were 2,570 deaths and 15,211 injuries in Ukraine between January and September, it said.

Russia is conducting “large-scale coordinated attacks on electricity and heating infrastructure” across Ukraine that threaten to deepen civilian suffering as winter approaches, according to the U.N.