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Nearly every day throughout March 2025, Ukraine was subjected to a relentless wave of long-range drone strikes, resulting in the deaths and injuries of hundreds of civilians and the disruption of daily life for millions more, according to the latest monthly report from the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU).
“These near-daily attacks have killed and injured scores of civilians across the country,” said Danielle Bell, head of the HRMMU, an independent human rights team operating under a mandate from the UN Human Rights Office at the request of the Ukrainian Government since 2014.
In March alone, at least 164 civilians were killed and 910 wounded—a 50% surge in casualties compared to February, and a staggering 71% increase from March 2024, as outlined in the HRMMU’s most recent Protection of Civilians Report.
The sharp rise in civilian casualties is attributed to intensified Russian attacks on urban centers such as Dnipro, Kharkiv, and Sumy, as well as sustained shelling in Dobropillia. One of the hardest-hit areas was Kryvyi Rih, located approximately 65 kilometers from the frontline. The city, also the hometown of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, endured five separate waves of Russian strikes that claimed the lives of at least six civilians and left 66 injured.
Civilian infrastructure continued to bear the brunt of the violence. Among the damaged sites in Kryvyi Rih were two hotels and a restaurant. Across the country, 29 medical facilities and 50 schools were hit by Russian fire, with two health centers and six educational institutions completely destroyed.
“Under international humanitarian law, hospitals are afforded special protection and must not be targeted,” Bell emphasized.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk also condemned the attacks, stressing that international law prohibits indiscriminate strikes and requires all parties in conflict to distinguish between military and civilian targets.
Ongoing Assaults into April
Deadly strikes by Russian forces have continued into April, with a disturbing incident on April 4 when a ballistic missile exploded above a playground, killing 19 civilians—nine of them children. These attacks have dealt further blows to towns in Eastern Ukraine, where residential buildings were hit and dozens more civilians suffered injuries.
Humanitarian teams are actively assessing the needs of communities affected by these latest assaults. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Ukraine issued a statement affirming: “Ukrainians deserve to live a normal life, free from violence.”
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Sources:
– UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine
– UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
– UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
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