The number of civilians killed by Russian bombing of cities and infrastructure in Ukraine increased by 26% in 2025, according a global conflict monitoring group.
According to London-based Action on Armed Violence, AOAV organization, 2,248 civilians were killed and 12,493 injured by explosive violence in Ukraine. An average of 4.8 civilians were reported killed or wounded per strike - 33% higher than in 2024. The deadliest incident occurred in Dnipro on 24 June, when Russian missiles struck a passenger train, residential buildings, and schools, killing 21 people and injuring 314, including 38 children.
According to AOAV’s CEO Iain Overton, the high casualty rate in Ukraine reflects erosion of restraint now evident across several conflicts. “We have watched this erosion unfold over years, from Homs to Aleppo to Mariupol and on to Gaza. What seems different now is the sense that there is no longer a functioning international rules-based order capable of ever holding those responsible to account,” Overton stated.
Russia launched relentless overnight air strikes on Ukraine in 2025 and 2026, targeting civilian infrastructure, knocking out electricity, heating and water to millions of people. On the night of 9 September, Ukraine was targeted by 805 drones and 13 missiles, marking the largest aerial assault of the war.
“Across Ukraine, Myanmar, Gaza and Sudan, the message is the same,” said Overton. “When impunity becomes normalised, war crimes stop being shocking exceptions and begin to resemble a method of warfare.”
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