Civilian victims in Ukraine: Russian attacks achieve a new high!

Civilian victims in Ukraine: Russian attacks achieve a new high!

In the Ukrainian border region Sumy, the human suffering through the war was visible again. On May 17, 2025, a Russian attack that caught a civilian bus led to at least eight civilians lost their lives and five more injured. The incident, as reported Krone, was confirmed by Ihor Tkatschenko, head of Sumy's military administration. Rescue workers and doctors were immediately alerted, while frightening pictures of the attacked blue small bus and blood -over -flowed civilian victims were circulating on Social Media.

The shocking incident is part of an alarming trend. According to a report by the UN observation mission for human rights (HRMMU), April 2025 has been the deadliest month for the Ukrainian civilian population since autumn 2024. This month, at least 209 civilians were killed and 1,146 violated, which means an increase of 23 % compared to March 2025 and a frightening plus compared to April of the previous year. Among the victims there were at least 19 children, the highest number since June 2022, according to [Merkur] (https://www.merkur.de/politik/ukraine-krie-un-lerten-alarmierenendenden-tieg-ziviler-sophener-drone-drone- 9372770.html).

A worrying increase in civilian victims

The increase in civilian victims is closely associated with the increased use of ballistic rockets and drones by Russia in urban areas. The UN reported that 97 % of civilian victims were recorded in areas controlled by Ukraine. Almost half of all incidents could be found on Russian rocket attacks or artillery shot, especially in cities such as Krywyj Rih, Dnipro and Saporischschja. In the first half of 2025, 664 civilians were already killed between January and April, which represents an increase of 59 % compared to the previous year, and thus represents the most devastating month for the civilian population.

A particularly tragic incident occurred on April 4, when a ballistic rocket detonated over a children's playground in Krywyj Rih and killed 19 people, including nine children. At the same time, between January and April 2025 there were a large number of other attacks that also met energy infrastructures in the Cherson region and led to widespread power outages.

negotiations without progress

The course of the negotiations and the future of the conflict situation remain uncertain. The ongoing attacks and the increase in civilian victims throw an urgent shadow on the peace talks. In the context of the recent incidents and the alarming statistics of the UN, it becomes clear that the war in Ukraine continues to have devastating effects on the civilian population, and international peace efforts seem increasingly ineffective. Data on this can be called up on Statista, where the civilian number of victims were prepared by April 30, 2025 ([Statista] (https://de.statista.com/statistik/studie/1297855/umfrage/anzahl-der-zivilen-oper- Derhinder-wieg/)).