Ukrainian civilian casualties rise 27 per cent compared to last year

This article is published in association with United Nations.

Civilian casualties in Ukraine were 27 per cent higher from January to October 2025, compared to the same period last year, according to the latest UN human rights report on the situation in the eastern European country. 

“The number of casualties for the first ten months of 2025 (12,062) has already exceeded the total for all of 2024 (9,112)”, said the report by the United Nations Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU).

In total there have been 53,006 civilian casualties, including 14,534 deaths, since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia in 2022. 

Frontline communities remain the most at risk, largely because of long-range missile and drone strikes, accounting for 65 per cent of deaths and injuries, particularly in the Kherson, Kharkiv, and Donetsk regions.

“At least 148 civilians were killed and 929 injured in October, mirroring the high numbers in the previous two months”, underscored the UN monitoring mission.

Rising attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure

Meanwhile, nearly four years into the war, Ukraine is facing intensified attacks on energy infrastructure

In October and November there have been renewed strikes on the power grid causing further blackouts nationwide.

© UNDP Ukraine/Oleksandr Ratush

Last month, three large-scale attacks targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, leading to emergency power outages across much of the country.

“As civilians in Ukraine head into another winter, the increase in attacks on energy infrastructure and resulting power outages heightens risks for the population,” said Danielle Bell, head of the monitoring mission.

“Any prolonged disruptions to heating, electricity or water supplies would create extreme hardships, particularly for older persons, persons with disabilities, families with young children, and women who often bear the primary responsibility for caregiving and ensuring access to essential needs for their families,” she added.

The UN and its partners continue to work closely with people on the ground to deliver life-saving aid to the hardest hit communities.