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The United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) has reported that the number of civilian casualties in Ukraine remains at a record high following intensified Russian attacks in September. The HRMMU's monthly update revealed that at least 328 civilians were killed and 2,105 injured in September, marking an 85% increase compared to September 2025.

The civilian casualties were reported in 22 regions across Ukraine and Kyiv, with the highest casualty numbers observed in the capital, Kherson, Kharkiv, Sumy, and Zaporizhia. Notably, Kyiv experienced civilian casualties on 22 out of 30 days during September, more frequently than any previous month since the full-scale invasion began.

In October, the HRMMU reported a continuation of high civilian casualty rates. For instance, on October 6-7, Russian forces launched an attack using cruise missiles and drones in the Pryluky area of the Chernihiv region, resulting in 22 civilian deaths and 45 injuries. Other mass-casualty attacks on civilians were documented in Kramatorsk, Zaporizhia, and Lutsk during the same month.

The HRMMU's Head, Danielle Bell, highlighted that the first two weeks of October saw some of the deadliest incidents for civilians in recent years, with attacks causing mass casualty incidents in Kharkiv, Zaporizhia, Kramatorsk, and Kyiv.

The HRMMU's data for September includes 18 killed and 44 injured civilians in the Russian-occupied territory of Ukraine, though the actual figures are likely to be higher due to challenges in verifying incidents caused by limited access and independent sources of information. The HRMMU noted that the high number of civilian casualties in September and October occurred alongside the Russian armed forces resuming systematic attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure.

On August 30, Russia announced preparations for massive strikes on Ukraine's energy facilities, and these attacks continued through October. On October 13-14, Russian forces attacked energy facilities, including three main power plants in Kyiv, causing emergency power outages that left 600,000 people without electricity.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) documented the consequences of these energy infrastructure attacks for civilians in their report on attacks during the 2025-2026 winter. The OHCHR concluded that these attacks likely violated foundational principles of international humanitarian law, contributing to the record-high civilian casualty toll in Ukraine.