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UN Report: Russian Missiles Behind 50% Surge in Civilian Deaths in Ukraine in 2025
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![Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko]( "Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko")
The number of civilian casualties in Ukraine has surged by nearly 50% in the first five months of 2025, according to the latest report from the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission published on June 26.
The spike is linked to Russia’s intensified use of ballistic missiles against Ukrainian cities.
“Ballistic missiles, when used in densely populated areas, cause predictable and widespread harm to civilians, as demonstrated by these recent attacks,” said Danielle Bell, Head of the UN mission.
She added that the rising number of civilian casualties reflected the severity of the threat.
According to the report, Russia’s missile strikes are not only indiscriminate — they are deliberately timed to inflict maximum damage on civilian life.
“The attacks struck during the day when civilians were at work, on trains, or at school,” Bell said. “The timing alone made the high number of civilian casualties entirely foreseeable.”
Earlier, Russia launched a deadly attack on Kherson and the surrounding region on June 26, killing at least three civilians and injuring two others, including elderly women, according to regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin.
The Kherson City Military Administration reported that Russian forces targeted multiple areas across the region using FPV drones, artillery, and air-dropped bombs.
