Civilian casualties in Ukraine up sharply in 2025, UN monitor says

"Last year was the deadliest for civilians in Ukraine since 2022, as casualties soared amid flaring hostilities along the front line and Russia's expanded use of long-range weapons, the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine said. In a report published on Monday, the UN monitor said that the total civilian casualties in Ukraine in 2025 reached at least 2,514 killed and 12,142 injured, which is a 31 percent increase compared to 2024 and a 70 percent increase compared to 2023."

"The vast majority of the casualties in the Russia-Ukraine war that were verified by the watchdog occurred in Ukrainian government-controlled territory from attacks launched by Russian armed forces, the report found. Increased efforts by Russian armed forces to capture territory in 2025 resulted in the killing and injuring of civilians, destruction of vital infrastructure, halting of essential services and new waves of displacement in front-line areas, the monitor said."

"Civilian casualties caused by short-range drones also increased sharply, it added. [But our] monitoring shows that this rise was driven not only by intensified hostilities along the front line, but also by the expanded use of long-range weapons, which exposed civilians across the country to heightened risk, Danielle Bell, head of the UN monitoring mission, said in a media release attached to the report."

Civilian casualties in Ukraine in 2025 reached at least 2,514 killed and 12,142 injured, a 31 percent increase from 2024 and a 70 percent increase from 2023. Almost two-thirds of casualties occurred in front-line areas, with older residents particularly affected as they remained in their villages. The vast majority of verified civilian harm occurred in Ukrainian government-controlled territory from attacks launched by Russian armed forces. Increased efforts by Russian forces to capture territory in 2025 caused civilian deaths and injuries, destruction of vital infrastructure, halting of essential services and new waves of displacement. Civilian casualties from short-range drones also rose sharply while expanded use of long-range weapons exposed civilians across the country to greater risk. Verified counts approach 15,000 civilian deaths, while the actual extent of civilian harm is likely higher.

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