Civilian casualties in Ukraine rose by 35% in 2025

In 2025, the number of civilian deaths in Ukraine increased by 35% compared to 2024, reaching 2,514 people. In total, 2,919 civilians were killed in Ukraine and Russia during the year, and another 17,775 were injured.

2025 became the deadliest year for civilians in the three years of the full-scale war in Ukraine. This conclusion was reached by analysts from the Conflict Intelligence Team (CIT), after analyzing all confirmed cases of civilian deaths and injuries on both sides of the front.

According to CIT, in 2025, 2,919 civilians were killed in Ukraine and Russia due to the war, and another 17,775 people were injured. Compared to 2024, the number of deaths increased by 12%, and the number of injured – by more than 25%.

The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine confirmed that 2,514 civilians were killed and 12,142 were injured in Ukraine alone.

The largest number of civilians died in the first year of the war – according to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, a conservative estimate of the number of civilian casualties as of January 2, 2023 was 6,919 people.

In 2025, despite attempts at a peaceful settlement, the intensity of attacks on civilian infrastructure increased.

CIT analysts note that 79% of the dead and injured in 2025 lived in territories controlled by the Ukrainian authorities, and the number of civilian casualties in Ukraine increased by 35% compared to 2024.

In the occupied territories and in Russia, on the contrary, the number of dead and wounded civilians decreased by 6%. According to analysts, this difference indicates a violation of the rules of warfare by Russia, and in some cases – war crimes.

CIT also drew attention to the growing role of drones. In 2025, UAV strikes led to the death of 1,376 people and the injury of another 10,089, which exceeds the losses from all other types of weapons combined. Compared with the previous year, the number of deaths from drone attacks increased almost threefold.

The bloodiest months were April, June and July, when more than two thousand dead and wounded were recorded each month. In May, there was a temporary decrease in losses, coinciding with a short ceasefire announced by Moscow during the May 9 celebrations.

The deadliest shelling of 2025 was the strike on Ternopil on November 19, which killed 38 people, including 8 children, injured 92 more, and three are missing. Other major incidents include the strike on the Dnieper on June 24, which killed 21 people and wounded 319, analysts said.

In the occupied territories, the largest number of casualties was recorded in the Donetsk and Kherson regions, but the CIT data is considered incomplete. In Russia, the most difficult situation was observed in the Belgorod region, where 134 people were killed, many residents of border regions are becoming victims of attacks by small drones.

According to the CIT, if current trends continue – the increase in the use of UAVs and massive shelling – the number of civilian casualties in 2026 may continue to grow.