The deadliest month for Ukrainian children

With at least 209 civilians killed and more than a thousand injured, April has become the deadliest month for Ukrainian civilians since September 2024, indicated the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine.

According to a statement published on the UN website, the attacks, sometimes occurring at times and places where many families were gathered outside, also contributed to a large number of child casualties. At least 19 children were killed and 78 injured in April, the largest monthly verified number of child victims since June 2022.

The high number of civilian casualties in April reflects a broader trend of increasing civilian harm in 2025 compared to 2024. Between January and April 2025, 664 civilians were killed and nearly 3,500 wounded, representing a 60% increase compared to the same period in 2024.

The report detailed some raids carried out by Moscow. One such instance was on 4 April, when a ballistic missile strike killed 20 civilians and injured at least 60. A little over a week later, on Palm Sunday, two missiles hit the city of Sumy, killing at least 30 civilians and injuring a hundred.

(MH with AmBar - Source: UN Website - Photo: © Unsplash)