Russia’s war against Ukraine is hitting civilians the hardest — Amnesty International

Russia’s war against Ukraine is primarily targeting the civilian population.

This is stated in Amnesty International’s annual report, released on April 21. 

Human rights activists note that in 2025, Russia continued massive attacks across Ukraine, including indiscriminate strikes on densely populated areas and critical civilian infrastructure, which constitute war crimes.

According to their data, the number of civilian casualties remains high—from February 24, 2022, to September 2025, 14,999 people were killed, and another 40,601 were injured. June and July were the deadliest months.

The report also notes that during the cold season, Russia attacked energy infrastructure almost daily. As a result, millions of Ukrainians were left without electricity and heating, and on some days, power supply was limited to just a few hours.

It is specifically emphasized that such strikes pose risks to nuclear safety and cause significant environmental consequences.

Additionally, human rights defenders have documented numerous cases of torture, enforced disappearances, and the unlawful detention of Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians in the occupied territories. Russia is also attempting to eradicate Ukrainian identity through its education policy and forced passportization.

Roman Reva, a 23-year-old police officer, died from severe injuries sustained during an airstrike on Kramatorsk.

Occupation forces of the Russian Federation launched another strike on residential neighborhoods in Zaporizhzhia, resulting in one fatality.