The number of civilian casualties in Ukraine rose by 49% in March 2026 compared to the previous month, with at least 211 fatalities and 1,206 injuries reported. This increase has been documented by the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) in its latest report.
The report indicates that the trend of rising civilian casualties continued into April, with at least 46 civilians killed and 343 injured in the first nine days of the month alone. The UN highlighted that the majority of civilian deaths in March were attributed to short-range drone strikes, which accounted for 66 fatalities, surpassing casualties caused by any other type of weaponry.
According to the UN, the impact of short-range drone attacks has significantly escalated. In 2025, civilian deaths from such attacks exceeded those in 2024 by 121%, with 580 fatalities and 3,295 injuries recorded, compared to 226 deaths and 1,528 injuries in 2024. The figures for March 2026 also showed a 70% increase in casualties from drone strikes compared to March 2025.
The HRMMU report confirms that civilian casualties were recorded in 19 regions of Ukraine, including the capital, Kyiv, with 97% of all incidents occurring in government-controlled areas. Since the onset of the full-scale Russian invasion on February 24, 2022, the UN has reported at least 15,578 civilian deaths, including 784 children, and 43,352 injuries, with 2,668 of those being children.
The UN report indicates a significant rise in civilian casualties in Ukraine, driven largely by drone attacks. The ongoing conflict continues to have severe humanitarian impacts, particularly affecting vulnerable populations.