Ukraine civilian casualties 2025 UN report: Deadliest year since invasion began

At least 14,656 civilians were killed or injured in Ukraine last year, marking 2025 as the deadliest year for non-combatants since the full-scale invasion started in 2022. The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) warned that the flaring hostilities and expanded use of long-range weapons have put the entire population at risk.

Ukraine civilian casualties 2025 UN report highlights 31% surge

According to the report published on January 12, 2026, the total count included 2,514 killed and 12,142 injured. These figures represent a 31% increase from 2024 and a staggering 70% jump compared to 2023. Danielle Bell, head of the mission, noted that the rise wasn't just due to front-line fighting but also the intensified use of missiles and drones hitting civilian infrastructure across the country.

The report verified that the vast majority of casualties occurred in territory controlled by the Ukrainian government, resulting from attacks launched by Russian armed forces. While Russia denies targeting civilians, the UN highlighted the destruction of vital infrastructure and the sharp increase in deaths caused by short-range drones as evidence of the growing threat to the public.

Stalled diplomacy amid rising human costs

As the war enters its fifth year this February, diplomatic solutions remain out of reach. Donald Trump's 28-point peace plan, which suggested ceding significant territory to Russia, was rejected by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as unacceptable. Simultaneously, Moscow recently dismissed a European-led draft that proposed deploying foreign troops to maintain peace post-war, leaving the front line as volatile as ever.