Civilian casualties in Ukraine rose sharply during 2025, with the impact of bombings and missile strikes increasing by 26% compared to the previous year. The surge reflects intensified Russian targeting of Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure, according to data from the monitoring group Action on Armed Violence (AOAV).

AOAV reported that 2,248 civilians were killed and 12,493 injured by explosive violence throughout Ukraine last year, with incidents affecting more people per attack than before. On average, 4.8 civilians were killed or wounded per strike, marking a 33% increase from 2024. The deadliest single attack occurred in Dnipro on June 24, when Russian missiles hit a passenger train, apartments, and schools, resulting in 21 deaths and 314 injuries, including 38 children.

Iain Overton, AOAV’s executive director, said the statistics demonstrate a broader collapse of restraint in modern conflicts, noting that the principle of proportionality in war is “at breaking point” across multiple theatres including Gaza, Sudan, Congo, and Ukraine. Deliberate attacks on civilians or civilian infrastructure that exceed military necessity constitute war crimes, but Overton warned that the erosion of accountability is now widespread.

Missile and drone strikes in Ukraine occurred almost nightly in 2025 and continued into 2026, leaving millions without reliable access to electricity, heating, or water. The largest single raid recorded by AOAV took place on September 9, when Ukrainian territory was struck by 805 drones and 13 missiles. The monitoring group compiles figures based on English-language media reports, a methodology that consistently undercounts the true scale of casualties due to incomplete coverage.

Globally, AOAV recorded a total of 45,358 civilian casualties from explosive violence in 2025, down from 61,353 in 2024. Of these, 17,589 were killed and 27,769 injured. The overall reduction is largely attributed to a ceasefire in Gaza, where civilian casualties fell by 40% compared to the previous year. Israeli authorities confirmed that the health ministry’s figures for Gaza—70,000 killed since October 2023—are broadly accurate. In 2025 alone, 25,718 Palestinians were recorded killed and 62,854 injured, highlighting the significant gap between English-language reporting and actual casualties.

The countries causing the highest number of civilian casualties last year were Israel and Russia, responsible for 35% and 32% of reported deaths and injuries from explosive violence, respectively. Other conflict zones with significant civilian harm included Sudan and Myanmar, with 5,438 and 3,178 casualties recorded.

Overton stressed that a pattern of impunity is taking hold across conflict zones. “Across Ukraine, Myanmar, Gaza and Sudan, the message is the same,” he said. “When impunity becomes normalised, war crimes stop being shocking exceptions and begin to resemble a method of warfare.”

This trend illustrates the growing human toll of modern conflicts, where both urban centers and civilian infrastructure are increasingly caught in the crossfire of sustained military operations.