From December 1, 2024 to May 31, 2025, at least 968 civilians were killed and 4,807 injured in Ukraine as a result of Russian military aggression, which is a 37% increase compared to the same period the previous year.
This is according to a report by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), as reported by Ukrinform.
The report notes a significant increase in civilian casualties in recent months amid intensified fighting and evolving tactics of warfare, including a sharp rise in deadly drone attacks.
The majority of these casualties occurred in Ukrainian government-controlled areas, primarily due to Russian attacks with long-range explosive weapons in populated areas, and short-range drones used near frontline zones.
Nearly half of all civilian casualties were caused by missiles, loitering munitions, and air-dropped bombs in densely populated areas. At least three attacks involved Russian forces deployed missiles with fragmentation warheads.
“The war in Ukraine – now in its fourth year – is becoming increasingly deadly for civilians,” said Danielle Bell, Head of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine. “We continue to document patterns of violence that are inconsistent with obligations under international humanitarian law.”
The UN confirmed that 207 civilians were killed and 1,365 injured as a result of Russian drone attacks during the reporting period.
Russian armed forces struck at least five hospitals directly, some of them with multiple loitering munitions, suggesting potential deliberate targeting of the hospitals in violation of international humanitarian law.
The report also highlights violations against Ukrainian prisoners of war held by Russia. The OHCHR documented credible reports of at least 35 Ukrainian POWs executed between December 1, 2024 and May 31, 2025.
UN representatives interviewed 117 recently released Ukrainian POWs and two detained medical personnel; nearly all of them reported experiencing torture and cruel treatment while in Russian captivity.
The report further details human rights violations against Ukrainian civilians unlawfully detained by Russian authorities, mostly in temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. Released civilians spoke of torture, abuse, and inhumane detention conditions.
In occupied areas, Ukrainians faced increased coercion to adopt Russian citizenship. During the six-month period, the UN documented information on more than 16,000 homes identified by Russian occupation authorities as potentially “abandoned” and therefore at risk of confiscation.
The report also describes the recruitment and use of Ukrainian children for sabotage missions against Ukrainian military sites — activities likely orchestrated by individuals linked to Russia.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in its commentary, welcomed the publication of the OHCHR’s 42nd periodic report on the human rights situation in Ukraine, prepared by the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine.
The Foreign Ministry also called for increased pressure and isolation of Russia, enhanced support for Ukraine, strengthened efforts to protect civilians, and the release of all unlawfully detained persons.
It emphasized the need to hold Russia accountable for all crimes committed and added that Ukrainian authorities are carefully reviewing the mission’s recommendations to ensure compliance with international human rights obligations.
As previously reported by Ukrinform, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine condemned Russia’s recent attacks on civilians, noting that none of the targeted sites where civilians died were military facilities.
Source: UN reports mounting civilian casualties in Ukraine due to Russian aggression
