UN reports sharp rise in civilian casualties in Ukraine
The United Nations has warned that the danger to civilians in Ukraine is increasing due to drone attacks. In the first two months of the year, the number of those killed and injured has nearly doubled compared to last year. Frontline regions are the most affected, with many of the victims being elderly people. This was stated in Geneva by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights during a scheduled update to the UN Human Rights Council.
The situation for civilians in Ukraine is becoming increasingly difficult. The UN says the main reason is the growing use of short-range drones in the war. According to UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Nada Al-Nashif, drones are now causing the highest number of casualties.
“During the first two months of this year, 60% of all civilian casualties occurred in frontline regions, and nearly half of those killed were elderly people,” she said.
According to the UN, in 2025 at least 580 civilians were killed in such attacks, and around 3,000 were injured. However, in just the first two months of this year, 107 people have been killed and 430 injured, indicating a sharp increase in casualties.
Most of the strikes occur in areas under Ukrainian government control, accounting for about 95% of all casualties. At the same time, the situation is also difficult in temporarily occupied territories. In particular, residents of the Oleshky district in the Kherson region report constant drone attacks.
As a result, evacuation has become increasingly difficult. Roads are mined, and shelling continues. “Together with mines along the roads… evacuation is extremely difficult and dangerous, leaving many people trapped near the front line,” Al-Nashif explained.
The UN also highlighted attacks on energy infrastructure this winter. Russian strikes have damaged heating systems, leaving hundreds of thousands of people without heat.
“Ukraine has lost more than half of its electricity generation capacity… Hundreds of thousands of civilians have been left without heating — sometimes for weeks or even months,” the UN representative stressed.
Another serious issue is the treatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war. According to the UN, more than 96% of them reported experiencing torture or ill-treatment.
“More than 96% of Ukrainian prisoners of war … said they had been subjected to torture and ill-treatment,” Al-Nashif said.
The UN called on Russia to end the war and comply with international law, including stopping torture, extrajudicial executions, and attacks on civilian infrastructure.
Ukraine may run out of funding for the war by June, Bloomberg reports.
Power outages have been reported in two regions following new attacks.
