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Civilian Casualties in Ukraine Surge Nearly 50% in 2025 Amid Intensified Russian Attacks

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Dariia Mykhailenko
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Civilian Casualties in Ukraine Surge Nearly 50% in 2025 Amid Intensified Russian Attacks
People stand near a damaged apartment building after a Russian combined attack in Kyiv, Ukraine on June 10, 2025. (Source: Getty Images)

Civilian casualties in Ukraine have increased by nearly 50% during the first five months of 2025 compared to the same period last year, according to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU).

The findings were published in the mission’s monthly report on June 11.

In May alone, at least 183 civilians were killed and 836 injured, based on verified data from HRMMU. The spike in casualties continues a deadly trend observed in April.

The UN attributes the rising toll to large-scale missile strikes and long-range drone attacks, which caused extensive damage across Ukraine. Short-range drones—often equipped with high-resolution cameras for precision targeting—have inflicted the highest number of casualties in frontline settlements.

“This year has been devastating for civilians across Ukraine, with significantly more deaths and injuries than during the same period in 2024,” said Danielle Bell, Head of HRMMU. “The intensification of long-range attacks with missiles and loitering munitions and frequent attacks with short-range drones along the frontline are a deadly combination for civilians.”

  

The mission reported that attacks involving long-range weapons have further escalated in June, leading to additional casualties.

“At this pace and scale, further loss of civilian life is not just possible—it is inevitable,” Bell warned.

Earlier, Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had welcomed the latest report by the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine which details systematic Russian drone strikes against civilians in the city of Kherson and across right-bank areas of Kherson region.

According to the Commission, Russia’s actions constitute serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law. The report provides verified evidence of deliberate attacks on civilian infrastructure, in clear violation of the principles of distinction and proportionality enshrined in the Geneva Conventions.

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