As Russian attacks targeting urban areas in Ukraine continue, civilian casualties in the country are rising sharply.

According to foreign media reports, including AFP, on the 13th local time, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine stated in a release issued that day that "at least 437 civilians were killed and 2,610 others were injured in Ukraine in July."

The number of civilian casualties increased by 30% from the previous month and by 70% compared to the same month last year.

The UN explained that looking at the death toll alone, it is the highest since May 2022.

It is estimated that a total of 16,874 Ukrainian civilians have died since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

In response to Ukraine's focused attacks on Russian energy facilities, Russia has concentrated its firepower on rear urban centers, including the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.

Recently, Russia has been pouring ballistic missiles into urban centers such as Kyiv, exploiting vulnerabilities in Ukraine's air defense network.

The UN noted that at least 54 people were killed in Kyiv last month, naming it one of the cities that suffered the heaviest toll.

Russian authorities have denied allegations of attacking civilians, claiming that the strikes targeted infrastructure near urban areas.

According to Ukrainian authorities, a passenger train was hit by a Russian attack in the Odesa region of Ukraine on the same day, leaving two people dead.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted on social media, stating, "The Russian military destroyed a passenger train carrying 340 people using a jet-propelled drone," and adding, "There is no way the person operating the drone did not know it was a civilian train."

Ukrainian authorities stated that besides the Odesa region, 11 other regions came under Russian attack that day.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)