Soaring civilian casualties in Ukraine show Putin hasn't learned lesson of Nazi Blitz

Two survivors of a Russian missile strike that partially destroyed a residential building in Lviv, Ukraine, on July 30 survey the damage (Picture: Yuriy Dyachyshyn) | AFP via Getty Images

A horrifying video of a middle-aged Ukrainian street trader being chased around a van by a Russian drone in a so-called ‘human safari’ attack was a particularly shocking example of the targeting of civilians by Vladimir Putin’s forces.

The man can be seen holding up vegetables from his stall in an attempt to show the operator that he is not a soldier. To no avail. The drone detonates but, remarkably, while the man suffered shrapnel wounds and concussion, he survived.

His story is far from unique. According to new figures from the United Nations, 1,396 civilians have been killed and a further 7,978 have been injured in Ukraine in the first six months of this year. The death toll was 37 per cent higher than in 2025 and 114 per cent more than in 2024.

READ MORE: Ukraine war is not going well for Russia. How dangerous is this for Vladimir Putin?

12.7 million Ukrainians need help

Psychopathic drone operators are not the only threat, with Danielle Bell, the UN’s human rights chief in Ukraine, saying: “The increasing use of ballistic missiles and other long-range weapons in populated areas is contributing to rising civilian casualties and widespread damage to homes, businesses and other civilian infrastructure.”

In a large-scale attack this week, 17 civilians were killed and 44 injured in Kyiv and the surrounding area. Russia has also specifically targeted power plants during winter in an attempt to freeze the civilian population into submission. With 12.7 million Ukrainians in need of humanitarian assistance, the UN is gearing up for “another winter of war”.

READ MORE: 'These are not mistakes': Russian drone strike in Romania shows why UK must urgently rearm

Ukraine, meanwhile, has in recent weeks been attacking targets deep within Russia, but has focussed on oil installations and other infrastructure that enables the Kremlin’s war machine to keep functioning, rather than civilian targets. Their attacks are designed to end the war, and the death and destruction it brings.

Some Russian civilians have been killed, but that is almost inevitable in such a conflict. And there is a world of difference between accidental or ‘fog of war’ deaths and deliberate attempts to kill non-combatants – men, women and children.

It seems Russia’s evil dictator has not learned the lesson of the Nazi Blitz during the Second World War – people’s morale does not crack, instead they become all the more determined.