A 12-year-old girl was among at least five civilians killed in a massive Russian drone and missile attack on Ukraine in the past 48 hours. The girl’s body was found under the debris of a residential building in the capital Kiev.
The strike also disrupted essential services, with water supplies cut off in parts of Kyiv’s left bank and traffic restricted in many areas, according to local officials.
Continuous strike for about 24 hours
Overnight, the Russian military fired approximately 800 drones and 56 missiles against Ukraine. The attacks included ballistic missiles, air-launched ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles, making it one of the most intense and prolonged attacks of the war so far, with nearly 24 hours of continuous attacks across the country.
The affected areas include residential buildings, a school, a veterinary hospital and other civil infrastructure. Similar attacks targeted energy infrastructure in Kremenchuk, as well as port facilities and residential areas in Chornomorsk.
On Thursday morning, despite the threat of new attacks, UN aid workers and officials took part in rescue efforts.
“Families should always feel safe,” Said Ms Castell-Hollingsworth from the scene. “Mothers should not have to wait to find out if their children are alive under the debris after these missile attacks.”
The senior humanitarian official reiterated that, under humanitarian law, Civilians must be protected and not targeted.
The number of citizens is increasing
The number of civilian casualties in Ukraine in the first four months of 2026 was higher than in the same period of the previous three years.
According to the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU), one of the main reasons is the huge increase in the use of long-range weapons: in April, at least 84 civilians were killed and 628 wounded by long-range weapons, accounting for 43 percent of total civilian casualties.
“I regret the resumption of these large-scale attacks, which have resulted in civilian casualties across the country.” Said UN human rights chief Volker Turk on Thursday.
“Attacks with long-range weapons are one of the leading causes of civilian casualties in Ukraine. Their expanded use in populated areas will increase the already increasing toll on civilians.”
Mr Turk said the loss of civilian lives on both sides of the front line from short-range drone strikes is unacceptable and called for an immediate de-escalation to save lives and prevent further suffering.
