UN monitors say Ukrainian civilian casualties hit highest level since 2022

UN monitors say civilian casualties in Ukraine hit their highest monthly level since the start of Russia's full-scale war. The latest attacks included a Russian drone strike on a train, killing two workers.

This blog is closed. These were the key developments in Russia's war in Ukraine on Thursday, August 13, 2026:

The UN says Ukraine has seen its highest monthly civilian casualty toll since March 2022

Ukrainian strikes have hit a major Russian refinery site deep inside the country

A Russian military officer was killed in a bombing in Sevastopol, where five people also died during disposal work after a Ukrainian drone attack

Ukrainian officials said a Russian drone destroyed a train's engine, killing the driver and his assistant

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has warned that Moscow can no longer sustain the conflict without North Korean reinforcements. Does Moscow really depend on Pyongyang? North Korea analyst Jenny Town shares her insights with DW's Brent Goff.

Ukraine has offered Russia a mutual halt to attacks on civilian targets in the Black Sea region.

A source told the Reuters news agency Kyiv sent the proposal through a third party and is still waiting for a response from Moscow.

The move comes as both countries accuse each other of increasing strikes on vessels linked to agricultural exports.

Ukraine has relied on alternative shipping routes after Russian strikes near the key grain-export hub of Odesa prompted many shipowners to suspend port calls.

Meanwhile, Russia has halted operations at all three terminals at the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk following a Ukrainian attack, a move expected to further reduce Russian grain exports.

The latest disruptions have raised concerns about global food supplies, while the Kremlin and Russia's Foreign Ministry have not commented on the reported proposal.

Russia is set to cut grain exports further this month after operations were halted at its main Black Sea and Azov Sea ports, with another major terminal suspending activity.

KSK, Russia's largest sea grain terminal, on Thursday said it had stopped operations for safety reasons, meaning all three grain terminals at the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk are now out of action.

Two other Novorossiysk terminals, NZT and NKHP, were shut on Wednesday following a large Ukrainian drone attack on the port.

Sources told Reuters that NKHP's loading gallery suffered severe damage and could remain offline for months, while NZT sustained lighter damage and may reopen sooner.

Andrey Sizov, head of the Sovecon consultancy, said the shutdowns could reduce Russian grain exports by between 700,000 and 1.2 million tonnes in August alone.

He warned that markets were underestimating the risk posed by the growing escalation in the Black Sea and Azov Sea region.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk says a Russian national has been detained on suspicion of planning to kill a Ukrainian-American dual citizen in Warsaw on Moscow's orders.

Tusk said Polish security agents and police arrested the suspect on August 7 with help from US authorities, preventing what he described as a planned "execution."

Tusk did not publicly identify the intended victim but said the person was considered "inconvenient" by the Kremlin.

He described the case as the first known instance in which someone allegedly acting on Russian orders had prepared an attack against a US citizen on the territory of another NATO member. Tusk warned that Poland should expect further attempts to target people viewed as threats by the Kremlin.

Poland has repeatedly accused Russia of sabotage and other covert operations since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

In June, Russian caricaturist and Kremlin critic Semyon Skrepetsky, whose real name was Robert Kuzovkov, was shot dead in eastern Poland. Tusk later described the killing as a "political murder."

Russian government opponents have also previously been targeted in attacks elsewhere in Europe, including in the UK, Germany and Lithuania.

Russia has struck Ukraine's largest grain export port on the Danube, damaging infrastructure and causing a fire, Ukrainian authorities said.

The overnight attack hit the port of Izmail in the southern Odesa region near the Romanian border and also knocked out power in southeastern parts of the city.

Local authorities said port infrastructure was damaged in the attack, though they did not immediately give details of the extent of the destruction.

Izmail is a major hub for Ukrainian exports of grain and other commodities, particularly when access to Black Sea ports is disrupted.

Romania, a NATO and European Union member, scrambled two fighter jets after what its Defence Ministry described as an "aerial target" briefly entered Romanian airspace.

The ministry said the object remained in Romanian airspace for around two minutes before heading back toward Ukraine, where explosions were later heard.

Record-low water levels on the Danube could further complicate efforts to move grain through the river.

Ukrainian drones struck one of Russia's largest oil-refining complexes deep inside the country, according to Ukraine's military, marking the fourth such attack in three days.

Ukraine's General Staff said the Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat refinery and petrochemical complex in Russia's republic of Bashkortostan was hit overnight, sparking a fire.

The facility is about 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) from the Ukrainian border, southeast of Moscow.

Ukraine's military described it as one of Russia's largest oil-refining and petrochemical complexes.

The plant can process up to 74 million barrels of oil a year and produces gasoline, diesel and other petroleum products.

Kyiv has intensified attacks on Russia's energy sector in recent months, arguing that oil revenues help finance Moscow's war effort.

Separately, a Ukrainian long-range strike has forced a major Russian oil refinery hit earlier this week to shut down completely, with repairs expected to take up to six months, according to a regional official.

The attack on the Orsk refinery took place around 1,300 kilometers (810 miles) from the front line.

Orenburg regional Governor Yevgeny Solntsev said the plant had been taken entirely out of operation.

"The equipment is imported, and given sanctions, repairs will take up to six months," he wrote on social media.

"The plant has been completely shut down," Solntsev added, saying authorities were "preparing for the worst-case scenario."

The region may now need to bring in fuel from elsewhere to cover any shortages.

The closure could add fresh pressure to Russia's fuel market, where shortages and rising prices have already affected drivers and businesses in recent months.

Many Russian regions have at some point introduced limits on commercial fuel sales, including caps on purchases and other forms of rationing.

In separate news from the bombing that killed a Russian naval officer in Sevastopol, Crimea's Moscow-appointed figurehead said five people were killed while trying to defuse an explosive device in the same city.

Mikhail Razvozhayev said four emergency-service bomb disposal specialists and a security guard were carrying out clearance work following a Ukrainian drone attack. He said all five people involved were killed.

Russia's Defense Ministry said its air defences shot down or intercepted 362 Ukrainian drones overnight across several Russian and Russian-controlled regions, including Crimea.

Both Russia and Ukraine have stepped up long-range aerial attacks as the war enters its fifth year.

A Russian military officer was killed in a bomb attack in Russian-annexed Crimea, with authorities saying a woman was arrested on suspicion of carrying out the killing for Ukrainian special services.

The attack happened on Thursday in Sevastopol, Crimea's largest city, the region's appointed head, Mikhail Razvozhayev, said. Ukraine did not immediately comment.

Russian Telegram channels reported that the victim was Robert Shageyev, a former Ukrainian naval officer who switched allegiance to Russia when Moscow annexed Crimea in 2014.

The channels said Shageyev had been commanding the Ukrainian submarine Zaporizhzhia at the time.

Razvozhayev did not officially name either the victim or the suspect.

Russia's FSB security service said the woman detained in connection with the killing was a Russian citizen, according to state news agency TASS.

Authorities suspect her of acting on behalf of Ukrainian special services.

An unofficial Ukrainian website, Myrotvorets, which lists people it regards as war criminals or traitors, said Shageyev had been "liquidated."

Russian President Vladimir Putin has visited the disputed Kuril Islands for the first time, drawing a strong protest from Japan.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said the trip would further strain already difficult relations with Moscow over Russia's war in Ukraine.

Civilian casualties in Ukraine have climbed to their highest monthly level since the early weeks of Russia's full-scale invasion, according to the United Nations.

The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine said it verified at least 437 civilians killed and 2,610 injured in July, a 30% rise from June and 70% more than in July 2025.

July recorded the highest overall number of civilian casualties since March 2022, while the number of people killed was the highest since May 2022.

The UN said the true toll was likely higher, with some reports still being verified.

Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022, the UN has verified at least 16,874 civilian deaths and 51,273 injuries in Ukraine.

Long-range missiles and drones remained the biggest cause of civilian casualties in July, accounting for 38% of the total. Short-range drones operating close to the frontline accounted for another 27% of casualties.

“Civilians are facing intensified risks from the increased use of missiles and drones in urban centers, glide bombs in cities closer to the frontline, and short-range drones," said head of the mission Danielle Bell.

Russia launched at least 429 missiles during the month, more than twice the number fired in June, according to the UN.

The deadliest attack came on July 2, when Russian forces launched 74 missiles and almost 500 long-range drones, mostly against Kyiv. At least 30 civilians were killed and 104 injured.

A Russian drone strike has hit a passenger train carrying hundreds of people in Ukraine's southern Odesa region, killing two railway workers, Ukrainian officials said.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said 340 people were on board when a drone struck and destroyed the locomotive.

Zelenskyy said the locomotive driver and his assistant were killed in the attack.

None of the passengers was injured, according to the head of Ukraine's state railway operator.

Footage released by emergency services showed flames engulfing the damaged front of the train.

Zelenskyy accused the drone operator of knowingly targeting a civilian train, saying it would have been impossible not to recognize it.