November 2024 was marked by a significant increase in civilian casualties in Ukraine compared to the same period in 2023. Continued shelling, drone strikes and targeted attacks on energy infrastructure have created new challenges for the protection of civilians. This article details key developments and the impact on civilians, based on UN data.
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Civilian casualties
In November, at least 165 civilians were killed and 887 injured, including eight killed and 57 injured children. Government-controlled territory suffered the most, accounting for 93 per cent of all casualties. The main causes were strikes by long-range missiles and ammunition that explode after launch, which significantly increased the damage compared to previous months.
Most of the casualties occurred in areas close to the frontline, particularly in Kherson and Donetsk regions, where artillery, bombing and drone attacks were almost daily occurrences. In Kherson, drone attacks accounted for almost half of all civilian casualties in the region.
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Attacks on infrastructure
The Russian armed forces have resumed attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, which were last carried out in August. In November, two large-scale attacks damaged 24 electricity generation and distribution facilities in 13 regions. Facilities related to the transmission of energy from nuclear power plants were also affected, leading to emergency and scheduled power outages across the country.
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Representative cases
- On 5 November, a rocket attack in Zaporizhzhia killed 8 people and injured 24.
- On 17 November, a rocket attack in a residential area in Sumy killed 11 civilians, including children.
- On 30 November, a rocket attack damaged a bus in the Dnipro region, killing 3 women and injuring 24 others.
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Challenges for monitoring
The UN notes that the actual number of casualties could be much higher due to limited access to certain regions and the lengthy process of verifying information. Data from the areas of intense fighting in early 2022 remain particularly underestimated.
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