UN: Civilian Toll Rises Sharply amid Renewed Ukraine Attacks

A residential building in Kryvyi Rih, southern Ukraine, shows signs of missile attacks © UNOCHA/Alhadi Al Baridi (file)

At least 214 civilians were killed and nearly 1,000 injured in Ukraine last month, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) said on Friday.

Civilian casualties between January and September 2025 were 31 per cent higher compared to the same period last year, according to HRMMU’s monthly report published on Thursday.

“High civilian casualties last month confirm this year’s disturbing pattern of intense violence in Ukraine, as virtually no day passes without civilian deaths or injuries, especially in frontline communities,” said HRMMU chief Danielle Bell.

Frontline danger

Sixty-nine per cent of September’s casualties occurred near the frontline, with particularly high numbers reported in the Donetsk and Kherson regions of eastern Ukraine. Nearly 30 per cent of all casualties were caused by short-range drone attacks.

In Donetsk region on Thursday, a bomb struck an area near a postal service vehicle as seniors were collecting their pensions.

Twenty-one of those killed and 13 of those injured were over the age of 60. Older persons are often among the last to evacuate their communities, HRMMU noted. At least 87 elderly people were killed last month.

Critical infrastructure at stake

September saw a 15 per cent rise in attacks on energy infrastructure compared to August 2025, with 31 strikes documented.

The UN humanitarian affairs office (OCHA) reported that weekend attacks left around 70,000 people without electricity and disrupted gas and water supplies.

Humanitarian officials warned that as winter approaches, strikes on critical infrastructure will worsen civilian hardship.

HRMMU said that on Thursday night, another massive countrywide strike targeting energy facilities caused power outages in several regions, including the capital, and reportedly killed a seven-year-old boy.

“We used to feel safe at home, but not anymore. Drones are buzzing like bees, flying without a break. We can’t sleep at night or during the day. We are exhausted,” said one man evacuated from Kostiantynivka, a city in eastern Ukraine.

Since February 2022, when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, HRMMU has documented at least 14,383 civilians killed, including 738 children, and 37,541 injured, including 2,318 children.