In Ukraine, the number of civilians killed and injured due to Russian attacks has increased significantly

In the first four months of 2025, the number of dead and injured civilians in Ukraine has increased significantly. The reason is the intensification of indiscriminate shelling by the Russian Federation, which human rights activists classify as war crimes

The human rights organization Human Rights Watch has recorded a significant increase in the number of victims among the civilian population of Ukraine. In the first four months of 2025, the number of dead and injured civilians increased by 57% compared to the same period last year. The main reason is intensive indiscriminate missile strikes by the Russian Federation, which have signs of war crimes.

Russia deliberately ignores the norms of international humanitarian law, carrying out attacks that do not distinguish between military targets and civilian objects. According to Belkis Wille, deputy director of the crisis and armed conflict department at HRW, women, children and other non-combatants are the victims of such attacks. She called on the international community to increase pressure on Russia to stop bombing civilian areas.

Human Rights Watch documented four strikes on populated areas in Ukraine between February 1 and April 4, 2025. They killed at least 47 civilians and injured more than 180. The organization qualifies these actions as violations of international law because of their indiscriminate and disproportionate nature: Russian troops failed to ensure the separation of the civilian population from military facilities, and the consequences of the attacks were excessive compared to the potential military benefit.

The attack on Kryvyi Rih on April 4, which became the deadliest for children since the start of the full-scale war, caused a particular resonance. Amid the growing number of victims, France initiated a meeting of the UN Security Council on April 29 to discuss Russian terror against Ukraine.

At the same time, the Kremlin’s hypocritical discourse continues in the public sphere: Russian President Vladimir Putin stated in April that he was “ready to consider” an initiative for a moratorium on attacks on civilian targets, but these words have not yet been followed by any real action. Moreover, Moscow is trying to shift responsibility to Ukraine, accusing it of violating the so-called “Easter truce” and counting thousands of alleged Ukrainian attacks.