The number of dead and wounded in Ukraine has risen by 85% — UN
In September 2026, the number of civilian deaths and injuries in Ukraine rose by 85% compared to September of last year. According to the UN, at least 328 people were killed and another 2,105 were injured. Preliminary estimates indicate that the number of casualties remained roughly the same in October.
This was stated by Kayako Goto, Director for Europe, Central Asia, and the Americas at the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, during a UN Security Council meeting in New York on Monday, November 9. According to her, the situation in Ukraine is becoming increasingly dangerous. Millions of civilians remain under constant shelling, as Russia intensifies its attacks on populated areas and civilian infrastructure in various regions of the country.
Goto cited data from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, the organization has confirmed the deaths of at least 17,968 Ukrainian civilians. Among them are 874 children. At least another 57,713 civilians have been injured, including 3,504 children. At the same time, the UN notes that the actual number of deaths and injuries is likely much higher, as not all cases have been confirmed.
The UN representative specifically highlighted the figures for September. During that month, at least 328 civilians were killed, and another 2,105 were injured. This is 85% more than during the same period last year. “As the scale of such attacks continues to grow, the number of civilian casualties in Ukraine is reaching record levels,” Goto emphasized. She also reported that a preliminary analysis of data for October indicates a similar number of casualties. In other words, the high rate of deaths and injuries among civilians persisted even after September.
Attacks on a School, a Hospital, and a Hospice
During her remarks, Goto mentioned several recent attacks that resulted in civilian deaths and injuries. In particular, she described a strike on a school building in Komyshuvakha, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, on November 2. At the time, the building was being used as a shelter and humanitarian aid was being distributed there. According to data cited by the UN representative, at least 55 people were killed in the attack, and five others were injured. It was also reported that 45 people remained missing under the rubble.
Another strike occurred on November 3 in Kharkiv. A Russian aerial bomb hit a hospital complex. According to information provided by Goto, at least 73 people were injured. On the same day, a Russian missile destroyed a hospice in Dnipro. As a result, dozens of patients, including the sick and the elderly, had to be evacuated.
Attacks on October 29 claimed lives in several cities
The UN representative also recalled the Russian strikes on Ukraine on October 29. According to her, Russian forces attacked civilian targets during the day when many people were present. In Dnipro, a Russian jet-powered drone struck a train platform. According to preliminary reports, 15 civilians were killed, and another 14 were injured.
In Chernihiv, a drone struck a street in the city center. Two 15-year-old girls were reportedly killed in the attack. Another 37 people were injured, including five children. Fatalities were also reported in Kremenchuk in the Poltava region, Izyum in the Kharkiv region, and Kyiv. Kayako Goto emphasized that the UN Secretary-General strongly condemned the recent Russian attacks. The organization once again drew attention to the consequences of strikes on the civilian population and on facilities essential to people’s daily lives.
During a UN Security Council meeting on November 9, Kayoko Goto, Director of the Europe and Central Asia Division of the UN Department of Political Affairs, called on Russia to immediately cease attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, which, with winter approaching, threaten the lives of millions of civilians.
Andriy Melnyk, Ukraine’s Permanent Representative to the UN, appealed to the Security Council and the General Assembly to respond to Russia’s failure to comply with a series of decisions by the International Court of Justice issued in connection with its aggression against Ukraine.
