Civilian casualties in Ukraine up sharply in 2025, UN monitor says

A firefighter works at the site of a building that was hit by a Russian drone, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine January 12, 2026. REUTERS/Thomas Peter

ZURICH, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Last year was the ‌deadliest for civilians in Ukraine since 2022, driven by intensified hostilities along the front line and the ‌expanded use of long-range weapons, the U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine said on Monday.

Conflict-related ‌violence in Ukraine killed 2,514 civilians and injured 12,142 in 2025, a 31% rise in the number of victims from 2024, the monitor said in a monthly update on civilian harm.