Civilian Casualties in Ukraine Rise Sharply Amid Attacks on Civilian and Energy Infrastructure – UN

The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) reports a sharp increase in civilian casualties caused by long-range missile and drone attacks.

Between January and November 2024, 509 civilians were killed and 2,462 injured. During the same period in 2025, the number of civilians killed rose by 27% to 645, while injuries increased by 68% to 4,123.

In November alone, at least 226 civilians were killed and 952 injured. More than half of these casualties resulted from Russian long-range missile and drone strikes on densely populated areas.

The UN warns that the intensification of attacks on energy infrastructure is placing civilians, workers and their families at serious risk as winter approaches. Large-scale strikes on power facilities in November led to emergency disruptions of electricity, heating and water supplies across many regions. Most parts of Ukraine are now experiencing prolonged scheduled power outages lasting up to 16 hours per day.

“These continued attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure are severely disrupting essential public services on which working people and communities depend,” said Danielle Bell, Head of the HRMMU. “Millions of families are being forced to live for long periods without electricity, heating and water, with conditions worsening as daylight hours shorten and temperatures fall.”

The report also recalls one of the most tragic incidents, the attack on Ternopil on 19 November, which killed at least 38 people, including eight children, and injured nearly 100 others.

Source: UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU)