Strikes on Civilians in April Resulted in Highest Casualty Toll Since at Least January 2024
According to counts in our Strikes on Civilian Infrastructure in Ukraine and Russia CIT Volunteer Summary, at least 273 civilians were killed and another 1,748 were injured in April 2025 as a result of strikes on both sides of the frontline. In total, 2,021 people were affected by indiscriminate force—the highest number of casualties recorded in a single month since the summary’s full launch in January 2024. A higher death toll was recorded only once, in May 2024, when 278 people were killed. The number of injured in April 2025 is the highest to date; the closest previous figure was in September 2024, when 1,699 people were wounded. Monthly data compiled by CIT is shown in the chart below.
As shown in the chart, a slight decrease in casualties during the winter followed by a rise toward summer has now been observed for the second year in a row. Last year, a sharp spike occurred in May, when the Russian Armed Forces launched an offensive in the north of the Kharkiv region followed by intensified strikes on the area, particularly targeting the city of Kharkiv. This year, however, the surge in casualties is not tied to a comparable escalation—no new sections of the frontline have appeared in 2025. Nevertheless, compared to February 2025, March saw 51 more fatalities (a 32% increase) and 437 more injuries (a 47% rise). The trend continued in April: the number of those killed rose again, this time by 62 people (a 29% increase over March), while the number of injured grew by another 374 (27%).
It is worth noting that the vast majority of civilian casualties from the indiscriminate use of force occur in Ukrainian-controlled, unoccupied territories—rather than in occupied territories or in Russia. The increase in the number of those killed and injured in the areas under Ukraine’s official control is the main factor driving the overall trend we are observing. Throughout 2025, the number of casualties in the occupied territories has remained largely unchanged. In Russia, we recorded a twofold increase in civilian injuries between February and March (from 60 to 123), likely due to intensified UAV attacks in border areas, especially in the Belgorod region. However, the number of fatalities remained almost the same: 18 in February, 19 in March and 22 in April. Meanwhile, the number of injured in unoccupied Ukrainian territories has surged for the second consecutive month. According to our data, 838 civilians were reported injured in February. That number rose by 401 in March, reaching 1,239, and then increased again by another 428 in April, bringing the total to 1,667.
This increase is primarily driven by the intensification of Russian missile and UAV strikes on Ukrainian cities, a trend that has been observed over the past two months. The peak occurred in April, when strikes on the cities of Kryvyi Rih, Sumy and Kyiv resulted in numerous civilian casualties. In February, missile and drone strikes on Ukrainian-controlled territories led to 56 fatalities and 362 injuries. By March, the number of deaths rose to 82—an increase of 26 people, or 46%—while the number of injured reached 612, up by 250 or 69%. The situation deteriorated further in April, with civilian casualties increasing by 71% compared to March: 58 more people were killed and 434 more injured.
In March, the total number of people killed and injured rose by 488, with 401 of those casualties occurring in Ukrainian-controlled territories. Of these, 276 were the result of missile and UAV strikes—accounting for 56% of the overall increase. In April, the number of deaths and injuries grew by 436, with 428 recorded in areas under Kyiv’s control. The number of casualties from missile and drone attacks in these areas alone grew by 492 compared to March—exceeding the total rise in casualties across all regions and weapon types. This suggests that the escalation of missile and UAV strikes on Ukrainian-held territory coincided with a decrease in casualties from other types of weaponry.
The timing of this surge appears significant: it occurred in March and April, aligning with renewed diplomatic efforts to negotiate a potential ceasefire in the war between Russia and Ukraine. Despite several statements from Russian officials professing peaceful intentions—including two proposed short-term truces—the data presented here suggests that Russia intensified its strikes to exert maximum pressure on Kyiv, aiming to weaken its negotiating position and to force concessions in future talks.
Notably, according to publicly available information, at least two of the deadliest strikes—on Kryvyi Rih and Sumy—constituted war crimes committed by the RuAF. The algorithms employed by the RuAF in Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) operations during the war, particularly their disregard for critical steps in targeting verification and collateral damage assessment, combined with the choice of munitions, suggest that many other strikes may also meet the threshold for classification as war crimes. Therefore, each incident must be a subject to a thorough and comprehensive investigation, taking into account all available evidence and witness testimony.
In recent weeks, even US President Donald Trump—who has typically maintained a notably restrained public posture toward the Russian authorities—has voiced frustration over the near-daily RuAF attacks on Ukrainian cities. As recent events demonstrate, peace rhetoric alone is insufficient to compel the aggressor to end the bloodshed. Words must be backed by concrete actions that increase pressure.