Russia, according to Selensky, is pursuing civilians
Headline: Ongoing Conflict in Ukraine: Civilian Casualties, Evolving Military Tactics, and International Diplomacy
Subhead: A summary of recent developments in the Ukraine War, including civilian casualties, Russian military tactics, and international responses.
The Ukraine War continues to take a heavy toll on civilians, with reports of persistent air and missile strikes, increasing use of drone swarms, and ongoing humanitarian crises.
Civilian Casualties
According to estimates, nearly 39,633 civilians have been killed or injured due to explosive violence since February 2022. The UN reports over 13,580 civilians killed and more than 34,000 injured since the full-scale invasion, with recent strikes causing multiple deaths in Kyiv and other regions, including hospital attacks and civilian targets such as humanitarian aid sites.
Explosive ground-launched weapons account for about 58% of civilian casualties, while air-launched weapons contribute 21%.
Russian Military Tactics
Russia is increasingly employing innovations like Shahed-type drones and glide bombs to target urban areas, often using "double tap" strikes aimed at emergency responders. In July 2025 alone, Kharkiv experienced over 100 strikes mostly by drones, causing significant civilian injuries and infrastructure damage.
International Relations and Responses
The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission has condemned ongoing attacks on civilians and critical infrastructure and reiterated calls to resume diplomacy and end violence on all sides. Both casualties and conflict dynamics continue to influence international diplomatic efforts, with UN officials urging immediate cessation of attacks on civilians wherever they occur.
Additional Context on Casualties
Both sides have suffered significant military casualties. Russian forces are estimated to have suffered over 120,000 deaths or contractor fatalities by mid-2025, and Ukrainian military casualties are similarly significant though varied by source.
Recent Developments
The Russian news agency TASS reports that the nuclear-powered submarine Knyaz Pozharsky, belonging to the Borei-A class and equipped with torpedoes, a hydroacoustic defense system, and ballistic missiles, has arrived at the permanent base of the Northern Fleet in Gadzhiyevo.
Ukrainian forces report 183 clashes with Russia in the past 24 hours, with the situation being most intense in the Pokrovsk region where the Ukrainian military repelled 49 Russian army attacks. In the Ukrainian region of Saporischschja, three people were killed in Russian attacks, and one person was killed in the morning by Russian shelling of the village of Antoniwka in the Kherson region.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has condemned Russia's attacks on civilian targets, stating that "Russia is hunting civilians across the entire front line."
Russia is preparing to escalate its drone warfare, aiming to produce up to 40,000 Shahed/Geran-2 combat drones this year. The Kremlin is also deploying drone swarms to conduct cost-effective attacks across wide areas of Ukraine.
An agreement has been reached for a prisoner exchange of 1,200 people each between Ukraine and Russia, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announcing that work on the lists for the prisoner exchange is underway.
The Russian and Chinese navies are conducting joint artillery and anti-submarine warfare exercises in the Sea of Japan. According to Russian reports, a Ukrainian drone strike has started a fire in a train station building in the southern region of Volgograd. Ukrainian defenders repelled 19 Russian attacks in the areas of North Sloboschansk and Kursk.
[1] Amnesty International (2022). Ukraine: Evidence of hundreds of civilian casualties in Donetsk region. [online] Available at: https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2022/07/ukraine-evidence-of-hundreds-of-civilian-casualties-in-donetsk-region/
[2] UN News (2022). UN rights chief urges parties to end violence in Ukraine, protect civilians. [online] Available at: https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/07/1098442
[3] The New York Times (2022). The True Toll of the War in Ukraine. [online] Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/world/europe/ukraine-war-casualties.html
[4] The Guardian (2022). Russia's Kharkiv offensive: the city under siege. [online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jul/16/russias-kharkiv-offensive-the-city-under-siege
- In light of the ongoing Ukraine War, it's crucial for community policy to address the escalating civilian casualties, with the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission repeatedly calling for a cessation of attacks on civilians and critical infrastructure.
- The evolving military tactics, such as the increased use of Shahed-type drones and glide bombs by Russia in urban areas, have become a key part of general news coverage concerning the Ukraine War, raising concerns about the protection of civilians during future conflicts. Politicians and global organizations must focus on creating employment policies that prioritize peace, diplomacy, and the prevention of such devastating war-and-conflicts situations.
