All articles tagged with #civilians
Pakistan says it struck armed groups inside Afghanistan after suicide bombings, while Kabul denies that Afghan territory allowed attacks; strikes in Nangarhar and Paktika killed and wounded civilians, prompting threats of retaliation and highlighting a deteriorating border dispute as negotiations falter.
Five years into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the war shows no sign of ending. CSIS tallies show up to 1.2 million Russian casualties and 500,000–600,000 Ukrainian military losses, while the U.N. records tens of thousands of civilian deaths and more than 40,000 injuries; roughly 19% of Ukraine’s land is under Russian control, and about 5.9 million Ukrainians have left the country with another 3.7 million displaced at home. Foreign military aid to Kyiv fell about 13% last year, though European donors increased assistance by 67% versus 2022–2024, and U.S.-brokered talks have not bridged core disagreements on land and security.
Russia's strikes on Ukraine's energy grid leave hundreds of thousands in extreme cold with limited heat and electricity; Kyiv and other cities face multi-day outages as authorities set up heating points and repair efforts continue amid ongoing attacks on critical infrastructure.
Israeli airstrikes and tank fire in Gaza killed 18 people, including four children, and the Rafah border crossing for patient evacuations to Egypt was halted again two days after a brief reopening. Strikes hit Gaza City and Khan Younis, with the WHO coordination delaying crossing operations. Earlier, some patients and escorts crossed into Egypt, but the crossing is now closed amid a fragile ceasefire and ongoing violence, contributing to a rising civilian toll in Gaza.
A married Ukrainian couple, Valentyna and Valerii Klochkov, are killed by sequential FPV drones as they attempt to flee their village; their bodies lie unrecovered in the snow, illustrating the civilian toll of the conflict and the endurance of love amid war.
Israeli strikes across Gaza killed at least 30 Palestinians, including 14 at a Gaza City police station, in what authorities say is retaliation for Hamas ceasefire violations, with damage also reported at a Gaza City apartment building and a Khan Younis tent camp amid ongoing ceasefire tensions.
Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip killed at least 32 people late Friday into Saturday, according to the Gaza Health Ministry; Israel said it targeted Hamas militants and weapons sites, while Gaza officials said the dead were predominantly women and children, including those in tents for displaced people in Khan Younis.
Israel’s military publicly accepted the Gaza health authorities’ death toll as broadly accurate for the first time, estimating about 70,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza since October 2023 (excluding missing), with Gaza authorities reporting over 71,600 direct deaths and around 10,000 buried. The move ends years of disputing casualty figures and could intensify scrutiny of civilian tolls; Israel also announced the Rafah crossing with Egypt would reopen to pedestrians under EU supervision, a step tied to US-backed ceasefire efforts.
BBC Verify reports that a Russian drone strike hit a crowded Ukrainian train in Kharkiv, killing at least five and leaving around 200 passengers on board; dramatic footage shows a woman carrying a baby being helped to safety as firefighters tackle a blaze, with Zelensky saying three drones were involved and there was no military justification. The live blog also includes Verify’s ongoing checks of attack footage and related UK trade coverage with the US and China.
An experienced war correspondent links the 1990s siege of Sarajevo to today’s Ukraine crisis, detailing how Russian strikes on energy infrastructure have left Kyiv and other cities in darkness and subfreezing temperatures; families improvise heating, shelter in tents indoors, and endure daily life under siege, as the author argues the cold is a deliberate weapon and calls the attacks a war crime requiring international accountability.
The UN voices grave alarm after South Sudan’s deputy army chief urged troops to 'spare no-one' as forces prepare to move into Jonglei, prompting evacuations of civilians and UN personnel from three counties. With fighting intensifying and opposition forces threatening Juba, the UN warns such rhetoric risks mass violence against civilians, as tens of thousands have already fled and aid agencies scramble to de-escalate tensions.
On Jan. 21, 2026, Israeli strikes across Gaza killed at least 11 Palestinians on one of the war’s deadliest days since the October ceasefire, including three journalists and two 13-year-old boys; a strike also hit a vehicle carrying journalists near a displacement camp. Gaza’s health ministry says casualties have surpassed 470 since the ceasefire began. Separately, Israeli strikes hit sites in southern Lebanon near the border, wounding journalists and others, as the United States pushes to advance the ceasefire’s second phase.
The United Nations reports that 2025 was Ukraine's deadliest year for civilians since 2022, with at least 2,514 killed and more injured, a 31% rise from 2024 and 70% from 2023, driven by intensified hostilities and the expanded use of long-range weapons. The year included the deadliest attack in Ternopil and widespread power outages around Kyiv as Russia targeted energy infrastructure amid freezing conditions.
First responders entered a devastated Aleppo neighborhood after days of intense fighting, launching rescue operations as casualties are assessed and civilians remain at risk amid continuing clashes.
Fifty-two Ukrainian civilians, mostly elderly, and thirteen soldiers were abducted by Russian forces during a cross-border raid on the village of Hrabovske in Sumy region, Ukraine. The civilians were taken to Russia, possibly Belgorod, in a rare and unusual operation, with Ukraine condemning the act as a violation of international law. The village has been captured by Russian forces, and fighting continues in the region.