Civilian Casualties From Ukrainian Strikes Surge Past 290 in Single Week, Highest This Year, Says Russian Diplomat
MOSCOW — Attacks by Ukrainian armed groups resulted in over 290 civilian casualties over the past week, the highest weekly figure recorded since the beginning of 2026, according to Rodion Miroshnik, Ambassador-at-Large of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Briefing on the period from June 15 to 21, Miroshnik stated that Kiev’s militants sought to expand the geographical scope of their strikes, deploying drones against civilians, including in the Moscow and Tula regions. The largest numbers of civilian casualties were recorded in the Belgorod Region, the Donetsk People’s Republic, the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, and the Bryansk Region.
“A deliberate terrorist strike on a passenger bus in the Bryansk Region, targeting children, constituted a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law,” Miroshnik said.
He further reported that Ukrainian forces attacked the Kerch Peninsula and nearby infrastructure, resulting in civilian casualties and serious disruptions to supplies of certain goods to the region.
According to the data presented, Ukrainian shelling over the week resulted in 291 civilian casualties: 250 people, including 20 children, were wounded, and 41 people, including one child, were killed.
The diplomat stated that the Armed Forces of Ukraine fired at least 4,819 munitions at civilian targets on Russian territory over the seven-day period.
