Civilian casualties were 31 percent higher between January and September 2025 compared to the same period last year, according to HRMMU’s monthly report released Thursday.
“Last month’s high number of civilian casualties confirms the disturbing pattern of intense violence this year in Ukraine, as Virtually no day goes by without civilians being killed or injured, especially in frontline communities.”said HRMMU Chief Danielle Bell.
Front line danger
Sixty-nine percent of September’s casualties occurred near the front lines, with notably high numbers in the Donetsk and Kherson regions of eastern Ukraine. Nearly 30 percent of all casualties were caused by short-range drone attacks..
On Thursday, in the Donetsk region, a bomb exploded near a postal service vehicle while elderly people were collecting their pensions.
Twenty-one of the dead and 13 of the injured were over 60 years old.. Seniors are often among the last residents to be evacuated from their communities, HRMMU says; at least 87 of them were killed last month.
Critical infrastructure at stake
Compared to August, September recorded a 15 percent increase in attacks affecting energy infrastructure compared to August 2025. 31 attacks were documented.
The UN aid coordination office (OCHA) reported that the weekend attacks left some 70,000 people without electricity and disrupted gas and water supplies.
Aid workers warned that as winter approaches, attacks on critical infrastructure will exacerbate civilian needs.
HRMMU said that on Thursday night, another massive nationwide attack on 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. The drones buzz like bees and fly without rest. We cannot sleep either at night or during the day. we are exhausted”said a 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 civilian deaths, including 738 children, and 37,541 injuries, including 2,318 children.