Russia killed 209 civilians and injured 1,146 others during April, making it the deadliest month with the highest number of injured since September 2024, the U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) reported on May 8.
At least 19 children were killed and 78 injured in April, the highest verified monthly number of child casualties since June 2022.
"One of the main reasons for the sharp rise in civilian casualties was the intensified use of ballistic missiles in major cities across the country," Danielle Bell, Head of HRMMU said, in a statement accompanying the report.
The news comes as the Trump administration continues to try and bring Kyiv and Moscow to the negotiating table. Yet, the progress has been limited, and Donald Trump's team has pressured Kyiv to make concessions to Russia, without applying visible pressure on Moscow to halt its aggression.
The high number of civilian casualties in April reflects a broader trend of increased harm to civilians in 2025 compared to 2024. Between January and April 2025, 664 civilians were killed and 3,425 injured, a 59% increase compared to the same period in 2024, the report read.
In April, 97% of civilian casualties were recorded in Ukraine-controlled territory. Almost half of all cases were caused by Russian missile attacks or shelling. Kryvyi Rih, Sumy, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, Kyiv, and Kharkiv suffered the most damage over the past month.
Attacks using short-range drones near the contact line accounted for 23% of civilian casualties during the month. Meanwhile, in early May, the trend of targeting large Ukrainian cities with loitering munitions also continued, according to the report.
"The progressive rise in the number of civilian casualties every month this year is closely tied to the use of long-range missiles and drones on urban areas," Bell said
"This has been compounded by continued drone attacks in frontline areas, driving a steady and alarming rise in civilian casualties, including children," she added.
Yuliia Taradiuk
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