Russian attacks on Ukrainian civilians are a clear violation of humanitarian law, says senior UN official

A 12-year-old girl was among at least five civilians killed in a massive Russian drone and missile strike on Ukraine over the past 48 hours. The girl’s body was found under the rubble of a residential building in the capital, Kyiv.

The strike also disrupted essential services, according to local authorities, with the water supply cut off across parts of the left bank of Kyiv and traffic restricted in several areas.

Nearly 24 hours of continuous strikes

Overnight, the Russian military launched nearly 800 drones and 56 missiles against Ukraine. The strikes included ballistic missiles, air-launched ballistic missiles and cruise missiles, making this one of the most intense and prolonged attacks of the war to date, with nearly 24 hours of continuous strikes across the country.

The areas affected include residential buildings, a school, a veterinary clinic and other civilian infrastructure. Similar strikes targeted energy infrastructure in Kremenchuk, as well as port facilities and residential areas in Chornomorsk. 

On Thursday morning, despite the risk of renewed attacks, UN aid workers and officials, took part in rescue efforts. 

“Families should always feel safe,” said Ms. Castel-Hollingsworth from the scene. “Mothers should not be waiting to know if their children are alive under the rubble after these missile attacks.” 

The senior humanitarian official reiterated that, under humanitarian law, civilians must be protected and must not be targeted.

Civilian toll rising

Civilian casualties in Ukraine over the first four months of 2026 were higher than in the same period in any of the last three years. 

According to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU), one of the main reasons is the massive increase in the use of long-range weapons: in April, long-range weapons killed at least 84 civilians and injured 628, accounting for 43 per cent of total civilian casualties.

“I deplore the resumption of these large-scale attacks which have resulted in civilian casualties across the country,” said UN human rights chief Volker Türk on Thursday.

“Attacks by long-range weapons are one of the leading causes of civilian casualties in Ukraine. Their expanded use in populated areas will only increase the already mounting toll on civilians.”

Mr Türk added that the loss of civilian lives on both sides of the frontline from short-range drone attacks is unacceptable and called for an immediate de-escalation to save lives and halt further suffering.