Civilian casualties in Ukraine due to bombings increased by 26% in 2025, according to a new analysis by the international monitoring organization Action on Armed Violence (AOAV).
According to data based on English-language media reports, 2,248 civilians were killed and 12,493 injured in explosive violence in the country in 2025. On average, 4.8 civilians were killed or injured in each attack - 33% more than in 2024.
The worst incident occurred in the city of Dnipro on June 24, when Russian missiles hit a passenger train, residential buildings and schools. 21 people were killed and 314 were injured, including 38 children.
Almost daily drone and missile attacks
In 2025, missile and drone strikes were carried out almost every night in different parts of Ukraine, with attacks continuing into 2026. Millions of people were left with limited or no access to electricity, heating and water.
On September 9, the largest air attack since the beginning of the war was recorded - 805 drones and 13 missiles were directed against Ukrainian territory.
AOAV Executive Director Ian Overton states that what is happening in Ukraine is part of a wider trend of "erosion of restraint" in military conflicts. He said the principle of proportionality - a cornerstone of international humanitarian law - was "on the brink of collapse".
The global picture
Globally, civilian casualties from explosive violence fell by 26% compared to the record year of 2024, largely due to the ceasefire in Gaza in October. AOAV reported 45,358 civilian casualties in 2025 - 17,589 killed and 27,769 injured.
In Gaza, 14,024 civilian casualties were recorded in 2025 - 40% fewer than the previous year. However, local health ministry data suggests the real numbers are significantly higher. The Israeli military admitted late last month that the total number of Palestinian deaths since October 2023 is approximately 70,000 - in line with the Gaza authorities' published figures of 72,061 killed and 171,715 wounded.
AOAV stresses that its methodology, based on English-language sources, leads to an underestimation of the true scale of casualties.
The deadliest conflicts
According to the report, the country responsible for the highest number of civilian casualties from explosive violence in 2025 was Israel, followed closely by Russia. Israel is linked to 35% of all reported casualties, while Russia is linked to 32%.
The next deadliest conflicts are in Sudan (5,438 casualties) and Myanmar (3,178 casualties).
"When impunity becomes normalized, war crimes cease to be shocking exceptions and begin to resemble a method of warfare," warns Overton.
The report outlines a worrying trend: despite a global decline in recorded casualties, the intensity and severity of attacks on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine continue to increase.