Civilian casualties rise sharply in Ukraine, while residents of Russian-occupied Kherson towns face severe humanitarian conditions: OSCE/ODIHR says

WARSAW, 15 July 2026 – Between December 2025 and May 2026, the number of verified civilian casualties in government-controlled territories of Ukraine was 45 per cent higher than in the same period of 2025, largely driven by the Russian Federation’s continued long-range missiles and loitering munitions strikes across Ukraine, as well as the growing use of short-range drones near the front line. At the same time, thousands of people living in Russian-occupied frontline communities in Kherson region remain cut off from essential services, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said today in its new report. 

“Civilians continue to bear the brunt of this war, whether they live under Russian occupation or in Ukrainian cities targeted by large-scale attacks,” said ODIHR Director Maria Telalian. “Our monitors heard testimony from families in communities such as Oleshky describing life without electricity, water, food, medical care or a safe way to leave. Behind every finding in this report are people whose life has been upended. ODIHR will continue documenting these violations to contribute to future accountability efforts.” 

The Ninth Interim report on reported violations of international humanitarian law (IHL) and international human rights law (IHRL) is based on testimony from 107 survivors and witnesses interviewed by ODIHR, as well as open-source monitoring and information provided or published by the Russian Federation, Ukraine, intergovernmental organizations and civil society. It builds on the Office’s previous findings, collected since the beginning of the Russian Federation’s invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022. To date, ODIHR has carried out nearly 800 interviews with survivors and witnesses as part of its monitoring.

According to the report, Russian armed forces continued sustained, large-scale, co‑ordinated strikes on urban areas across Ukraine and expanded the use of short-range drones, including first-person-view (FPV) drones, in frontline areas, causing civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure and, in some cases, directly impacting emergency responders and humanitarian personnel. The month of May was the deadliest for civilians since April 2022, with Kyiv hit harder than any other location in the country.

During the winter months, Russian armed forces continued a systematic campaign against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, leading to widespread disruption of electricity, heating and water supplies during periods of sub-zero temperatures. 

The report also notes that the Russian authorities reported Ukrainian strikes on energy infrastructure in areas close to the frontline and in border regions, disrupting electricity and water supplies for the local population.

Conditions remain especially dire in the Russian-occupied frontline areas of Kherson region. As of May 2026, around 6,000 residents, including approximately 200 children, remained in and around Oleshky and Hola Prystan, where witnesses described towns transformed into a combat zone. They reported prolonged periods without electricity, running water, heating, food or medical care. ODIHR also received accounts that Russian forces prevented residents from leaving Oleshky and used civilians to shield military positions. 

As previously, ODIHR makes a series of recommendations to both parties to the conflict to address the issues highlighted in the report, including ending any involvement of children in activities related to the ongoing hostilities. All parties to an armed conflict must protect the civilian population at all times and act in line with IHL and IHRL, which prohibit deliberate or indiscriminate attacks against civilians and civilian objects.