Over 12,300 civilians killed since start of Ukraine war, U.N. says

Explosions are seen in the sky over the city during a Russian drone strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine January 8, 2025.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

More than 12,300 civilians have been killed in the Ukraine war since Russia invaded nearly three years ago, a U.N. official said on Wednesday, noting higher casualties in recent months amid the use of drones, long-range missiles and glide bombs.

“Russian armed forces intensified their operations to capture further territory in eastern Ukraine, with a severe impact on civilians in frontline areas, particularly in the Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions,” Nada Al-Nashif, United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights said in a statement, referring to developments since September 2024.

“We are deeply concerned by the impacts on civilians of the increased use of drones and the use of new weapons,” she added, referring in part to Russia’s use of highly destructive guided bombs or glide bombs in residential areas.