UN Reports Drones as Leading Cause of Civilian Deaths in Ukraine War

In January, short-range aerial drones emerged as the leading threat to civilians in Ukraine, as reported by the U.N.'s monitoring mission on Tuesday. The mission stated that 139 civilians lost their lives, and 738 sustained injuries, in January 2025, with short-range drones accounting for 27% of fatalities and 30% of injuries.

The U.N. has documented a total of approximately 12,500 civilian casualties in the conflict, including 650 children, acknowledging that this is likely an underestimation due to verification challenges.

Aerial drones, once viewed as supplemental tools, have now evolved into pivotal weapons in the conflict, with both Ukraine and Russia producing well over a million each in 2024.

The head of the U.N. monitoring mission, Danielle Bell, expressed concern over the growing trend of short-range drones endangering civilians, quoting, "Our data reveals a troubling pattern of short-range drones being utilized in ways that imperil civilians."

Despite Russia's denial of intentionally targeting civilians, the conflict has led to the deaths of thousands since its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.