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Russia’s War Escalates for Ukrainian Civilians Despite Ongoing Peace Negotiations, UN Says
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![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
Nearly four years into Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the situation for civilians is growing increasingly dire, even as high-profile peace negotiations dominate international attention, the United Nations’ top human rights official warned during a session of the UN Human Rights Council.
Speaking before the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said monitoring conducted by his office shows the war in Ukraine is intensifying rather than easing, with mounting civilian deaths, damage, and destruction, according to a UN release on December 16.
“While peace negotiations continue, our monitoring and reporting show that the war is intensifying, causing more deaths, damage, and destruction,” Türk told council members.
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He cautioned that intense diplomatic activity must not overshadow the daily suffering endured by Ukrainians across the country, noting that conditions for civilians have continued to deteriorate.
Addressing representatives of UN member states, Türk described widespread exhaustion among Ukrainians and stressed the need for a cessation of hostilities grounded in international law.
“They need peace, in line with the UN Charter, international law, and General Assembly resolutions, grounded in human rights,” he said.
In Pokrovsk, russians are shooting civilians.
— Saint Javelin (@saintjavelin) October 19, 2025
The first photo shows man carrying a wounded woman in his arms because her legs had been shot through. She had apparently crawled along the street before he found her.
The footage, captured by a drone, was shared by Ukrainian… pic.twitter.com/pVNDorAywx
Escalating Russian strikes drive civilian casualties
Despite diplomatic efforts, Türk described the current situation as “a never-ending nightmare for the Ukrainian population.”
According to UN data, civilian casualties recorded since the beginning of the year have risen by 24 percent compared to the same period last year, largely “because Russian armed forces have intensified their use of long-range missiles and drones in frontline and urban areas.”
No part of Ukraine is considered safe, Türk said, with attacks reported nationwide, including western regions previously spared from heavy fighting.
Between December 2024 and November 2025, the average daily number of long-range drones deployed by Russia increased significantly.
Throughout the year, the overwhelming majority of civilians killed or injured were on territory controlled by Ukraine, with more than 60 percent located near the front line.
A Russian missile turned a city bus into a steel corpse, killing 16 civilians in Ukraine. War crime prosecutor Vitalii Dovhal is preserving the bus as evidence in the hope it will be used in a future trial. https://t.co/p6sgeBhBRM pic.twitter.com/cO1WJK8Fm1
— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) November 24, 2025
Short-range drones and vulnerable populations
The UN also documented extensive harm caused by Russian short-range drones equipped with first-person-view cameras.
According to Türk’s office, these strikes hit civilians traveling by bicycle, car, and public buses, killing roughly 300 people during the period reviewed.
Air-delivered munitions and other weapons have damaged or destroyed homes, hospitals, and schools, triggering further displacement. While many civilians have been evacuated from frontline areas, others—primarily elderly or disabled individuals—have been unable to leave due to limited transport and inadequate facilities.
Nearly half of those killed in frontline areas were over the age of 60, the UN reported.
Russia, for its part, has reported 146 civilian deaths and more than 1,150 injuries on its own territory during the same period. However, Türk said his office has been unable to verify those figures independently.
Earlier, Russian forces launched a targeted strike on civilian infrastructure in Shostka, Sumy region, using strike drones. The target was a sports school where children were undergoing training at the time.
-111f0e5095e02c02446ffed57bfb0ab1.jpeg "Photo of Roman Kohanets")
