**Deadliest Month in Ukraine Since September 2024: UN Reports 209 Civilian Deaths and 1,146 Injuries**
A recent report by the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) has revealed that April 2025 was the deadliest month for civilians in Ukraine since September 2024. The report states that at least 209 civilians lost their lives and over 1,146 were injured during this period.
The HRMMU attributed the dramatic increase in casualties to ballistic missile strikes on major Ukrainian cities. These attacks often targeted areas where many families gathered outdoors, resulting in a high number of child casualties. In fact, April saw the highest confirmed monthly figure of child casualties since June 2022, with at least 19 children killed and 78 injured.
**Ballistic Missile Strikes: The Main Cause of Casualties**
The report highlighted that nearly half of all victims were civilians in government-controlled areas of Ukraine. The majority suffered from missile strikes and shelling by Russian armed forces. Several devastating attacks occurred throughout April, including a ballistic missile strike on Kryvyi Rih that killed 20 civilians and injured at least 63 others.
**Child Casualties: A Growing Concern**
The UN mission noted that small-radius drone attacks in frontline areas caused 23% of all civilian casualties in April. One such incident occurred on 23 April in Marhanets, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, where a drone struck a bus carrying mining company workers, resulting in at least nine deaths and 58 injuries.
**A Broader Trend of Increasing Harm to Civilians**
The HRMMU’s report also revealed that the April casualty figures reflect a broader trend in 2025 of increasing harm to civilians. From January through April 2025, 664 civilians were killed and 3,425 injured, representing a 59% increase compared to the same period in 2024.
**Similar Attacks Continue into May**
The UN mission noted that similar attacks on major Ukrainian cities continued into May, with new missile and loitering munition strikes recorded in Kharkiv, Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, and Kyiv, again resulting in civilian casualties. As the situation continues to deteriorate, it is essential for international authorities to take immediate action to protect civilians and prevent further harm.
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