UN Briefing: Ukraine War Escalation and Civilian Impact in 2025

Escalating Civilian Casualties in 2025

• ⚠️ Civilian casualties in Ukraine between January and November 2025 were 24% higher than the same period in 2024, with figures continuing to rise.
• ⚡ Large-scale Russian missile and drone strikes on energy and transport infrastructure have left hundreds of thousands without power and basic utilities.
• 💔 Attacks have resulted in deaths, injuries, and significant displacement, with over 14,775 civilians verified killed since February 2022.

Impact on Civilian Infrastructure

• 🏠 Systematic attacks on energy infrastructure threaten millions with lack of heating and water during winter.
• ♿ Elevators in high-rise buildings are unusable due to power cuts, trapping the elderly and disabled.
• 📚 Over 340 educational facilities have been damaged or destroyed, impacting children's right to education.
• 📉 Essential services, including food, pharmacies, and medical personnel, have collapsed in frontline communities.

Cross-Border Attacks and Escalation Risks

• ⚠️ Reports of civilian casualties and infrastructure damage also come from border communities in the Russian Federation due to Ukrainian strikes.
• 🚢 Incidents involving shipping and port infrastructure in the Black Sea, including drone attacks on tankers, are a cause for concern.
• 💥 Attacks on ports like Odessa and Taman represent a dangerous cycle of escalation.

Nuclear Safety Concerns

• ☢️ Military actions endangering nuclear plants are unconscionable and must cease immediately.
• 🔌 Ukraine's nuclear power plant continues to experience dangerous power interruptions due to nearby attacks.
• ⚠️ The Chernobyl new safe confinement sustained damage, losing primary safety functions, though no permanent structural damage was found.

Human Rights and Humanitarian Law Violations

• ⚖️ Deep concern remains over systematic violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in occupied areas of Ukraine.
• 🕊️ Encouragement for prisoner of war exchanges and scaled-up returns of Ukrainian children and civilian detainees.
• 🇺🇳 The UN reiterates that attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure are prohibited under international law.

Path to Peace and Stability

• 🤝 The people of Ukraine demonstrate resilience and determination to build a peaceful future, with strong civil society action.
• 🎯 Ongoing diplomatic efforts, particularly those led by the United States, offer hope for a negotiated end to the war.
• 🌍 Achieving a just, lasting, and comprehensive peace requires upholding Ukraine's sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders.