Translated with AI
In August 2025, short-range drone strikes caused the highest number of civilian casualties in Ukraine compared to any other type of weapon, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) reported on Wednesday.
According to the mission's report, drone attacks killed 58 people and injured another 272 in the past month. It noted that approximately 72% of all civilian casualties were recorded in areas adjacent to the front line, particularly in the Donetsk and Kherson regions.
The document emphasizes that the use of long-range weapons—missiles and loitering munitions—in areas located far from combat zones increased significantly in 2025. After a brief decline in attack intensity in August, strikes resumed in early September.
"The temporary pause in long-range attacks brought only brief relief to urban areas, while casualties in the frontline regions remained stubbornly high," said HRMMU head Danielle Bell. According to her, in early September, Russian armed forces used a record number of missiles and drones.
Thus, during the massive strike on September 6-7, according to available data, 810 loitering drones and 13 missiles were used, which was the largest use of weapons in a single attack since the conflict began on February 24, 2022. The strike affected several regions of the country, resulting in the deaths of at least five civilians and the injury of 41 people.
According to the mission, attacks on energy infrastructure, including gas facilities, also intensified in August. At least nine such incidents were recorded in government-controlled areas of Ukraine. Strikes were also carried out on other critical facilities, including the Ship Bridge in Kherson, which is crucial for civilian mobility.
Overall, according to the UN, the level of civilian casualties in Ukraine increased significantly in 2025: in the first eight months, the number of casualties increased by 40% compared to the same period in 2024. The number of civilian deaths increased by 17%, and the number of wounded by 46%.
Since the conflict began in February 2022, the mission has documented the deaths of at least 14,116 civilians, including 733 children, and the injury of 36,481 people.
