The relentless barrage of Russian airstrikes across Ukraine has reached new and devastating heights in 2025, with civilian casualties and infrastructure damage escalating sharply compared to the previous year. According to a report released on November 25, 2025, by the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU), the first ten months of this year saw 548 civilians killed and 3,592 injured as a direct result of Russian aerial assaults. These grim figures mark a 26% increase in deaths and a staggering 75% surge in injuries compared to the same period in 2024, when 434 people were killed and 2,045 wounded.
The capital city of Kyiv has borne the brunt of this intensified campaign, with civilian casualties in the first ten months of 2025 almost quadrupling the total recorded for the entirety of 2024. Other major urban centers, including Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia, have also experienced significantly higher civilian death tolls, as reported by the UN. The HRMMU attributes this spike to the Russian military’s ramped-up use of long-range weaponry, including recent attacks that unleashed more than 500 missiles and drones in a single wave.
"In addition to the horrific human toll, residential buildings and public infrastructure are also being destroyed, the restoration of which may take years," emphasized Danielle Bell, head of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, in the organization’s latest report. The effects of these strikes are not only immediate but will echo for years to come as communities grapple with the loss of homes, utilities, and a sense of security.
One of the most recent and vivid examples of this devastation occurred on the evening of November 25, 2025, when Russian forces targeted the city of Zaporizhzhia with strike drones. By the following morning, authorities reported that 18 people—12 women and six men—had been injured and were receiving medical care. Ivan Fedorov, head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration, detailed the extent of the destruction: 31 high-rise apartment buildings and 20 private homes across three city districts were damaged, along with a dormitory at an educational institution, non-residential buildings, a shop, a gas station, an enterprise, and several transport facilities. The city endured 11 separate strikes during this assault.
Emergency services faced a daunting challenge. According to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, 103 rescuers and 21 pieces of equipment were deployed to manage the aftermath. Their efforts included rescuing 10 people from immediate danger and extinguishing nine fires, which together spanned an area of 2,288 square meters. Psychologists provided assistance to 61 people, including two children, underscoring the psychological toll these attacks inflict alongside the physical devastation. The number of casualties was still being clarified as of the morning of November 26, with emergency teams working tirelessly throughout the city.
This attack on Zaporizhzhia was part of a wider, coordinated onslaught across Ukraine that night. Russian forces launched 486 air targets, comprising 22 missiles of various types and 464 drones. Ukrainian air defenses managed to neutralize 452 of these threats, but the remaining projectiles caused significant harm. Strikes were also reported in the Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, and Cherkasy regions, where energy infrastructure was a primary target. At least six people were killed and 14 injured in overnight strikes in Zaporizhzhia alone, with further casualties reported in other regions. In Kharkiv, a Russian drone barrage resulted in 16 strikes, killing four people. Fires and explosions were also reported in Chernihiv and Izmail, highlighting the widespread nature of the assault.
The HRMMU’s report paints a bleak picture for communities near the front lines. In September 2025, 69% of all civilian casualties occurred in areas close to active fighting, particularly the Donetsk and Kherson regions. Elderly residents are disproportionately affected, as many are reluctant or unable to evacuate their hometowns despite the mounting danger. Women have also suffered heavily. From February 2024 to October 2025, at least 4,403 women and 314 girls were killed across Ukraine, according to Sabine Fraser, a representative of UN Women. She explained that strikes on infrastructure and transportation hit women especially hard, as they tend to spend more time at home and rely more on public transport—spaces that have become increasingly perilous.
The consequences of these attacks extend beyond the immediate casualties. Recent waves have specifically targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, causing severe electricity shortages as winter approaches and temperatures drop. The HRMMU notes that these shortages amplify the psychological pressure on civilians, compounding the physical dangers with a sense of vulnerability and uncertainty about the future. Restoring damaged infrastructure is expected to take years, with the prospect of prolonged hardship for millions of Ukrainians.
International concern over the escalating violence remains high. On November 21, 2025, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reiterated that any peace plan to end the Russian-Ukrainian war must respect Ukraine’s territorial integrity, aligning with existing UN resolutions. His statement echoes the widespread international condemnation of attacks on civilian populations and critical infrastructure, and underscores the urgent need for a diplomatic resolution that safeguards Ukraine’s sovereignty and the safety of its people.
The scale and intensity of Russian airstrikes in 2025 have drawn comparisons with some of the darkest periods of recent European history. The use of hundreds of missiles and drones in single operations, the deliberate targeting of residential neighborhoods, and the systematic destruction of energy grids are tactics that have left millions of Ukrainians in a perpetual state of fear and hardship. The HRMMU’s monthly reports have become a grim chronicle of these events, documenting not only the rising death toll but also the enduring resilience of Ukraine’s emergency services and civilian population.
As the winter deepens and the war shows no sign of abating, the international community faces a stark reminder: the human cost of this conflict continues to rise, with women, the elderly, and those living near the front lines suffering most acutely. The restoration of Ukraine’s battered infrastructure and the healing of its traumatized population will require not only years of reconstruction but also a renewed commitment to peace and justice.