Almost 10,000 civilians have lost their lives since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, according to the UN. Thus, 9,444 civilians have died, including 500 children, and more than 16,940 have been injured since the beginning of the Russian invasion in February 2022. The real figure is probably much higher. The UN notes that the toll is not complete because data is missing from several regions, especially from Mariupol, Lisiceansk and Severodonetsk, occupied by the Russian forces after heavy fighting, and also from Kyiv. The figures also show that the vast majority of those killed (7,339) died in Ukrainian regions bombed by Russia and defended by the Ukrainian army. In the regions of Donetsk and Lugansk, in the east, there were significantly more casualties on both sides of the front than in the capital Kyiv, in the center and west of Ukraine. The UN report also notes that more civilians died in the first months of the war. In the spring and summer of 2023, between 170 and 180 civilians lost their lives each month.
Eugen Cojocariu, Radio Romania International
