UN says 2025 'deadliest' year for civilians in Ukraine since 2022

By Merve Aydogan

HAMILTON, Canada (AA) - The UN on Monday reported that civilian deaths in Ukraine have reached their highest level in 2025, as Russia steps up aerial assaults on cities, energy systems and civilian infrastructure amid winter conditions.

"The start of the New Year has brought no peace or even respite to Ukraine, but renewed fighting and devastation," UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo said at the Security Council's emergency session on Ukraine.

She reported that "large-scale aerial assaults" by Russia against civilians and critical civilian infrastructure have continued across the country, warning that the impact is felt most by vulnerable groups, including the elderly and children.

The Russian attacks on Ukraine "follow a well-established and deeply troubling pattern: attacks escalate when weather conditions worsen, and people’s need for heating becomes most acute," DiCarlo said.

Citing data from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), she said at least 14,999 civilians have been killed, including 763 children, and 40,601 civilians injured, including 2,486 children since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war in February 2022.

"The actual figures are likely higher. OHCHR’s Monitoring Mission in Ukraine has just reported that 2025 was the deadliest year for civilians since 2022," she added, while warning against the "extremely precarious" situation of Ukraine's nuclear sites.

The UN official urged both Russia and Ukraine "to engage constructively with the IAEA and to immediately cease any military activities near the plant in order to reduce the risk of a catastrophic accident."

She said the nearly four-year-long war has caused immense human and global damage, stressing that "the war should never have started. It must stop."

DiCarlo also added that the UN "commend(s) the efforts of the United States and all others concerned, working towards peace," urging sustained diplomatic engagement to de-escalate and end the conflict.

- '10.8 million people in Ukraine urgently need humanitarian assistance'

Echoing DiCarlo, Ramesh Rajasingham, head of OCHA Geneva, speaking on behalf of UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher, also warned that the humanitarian situation has sharply deteriorated as winter deepens.

"Since our last briefing on 9 December, the plight of civilians has grown more desperate, as large-scale attacks continue to push energy systems, emergency services and the very means of winter survival to the brink," Rajasingham said.

He stressed that "what makes these attacks especially devastating is that they cripple the systems that keep civilians alive during winter," as evacuations from frontline areas continue under dangerous conditions.

Rajasingham said that "10.8 million people in Ukraine urgently need humanitarian assistance" as the war moves toward its fifth year.

He announced that the UN and its partners will seek $2.31 billion to support 4.12 million people facing the most severe needs through the 2026 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan.

Stressing legal obligations, he told Council members that "international humanitarian law is unequivocal. Civilians and civilian objects, wherever they are, must be protected."

Calling for stronger action, he further urged governments to ensure protection, access and funding so that "essential lifesaving assistance can continue."​​​​​​​