Attachments
OPERATIONAL CONTEXT & HIGHLIGHTS:
- On 4 April, a ballistic missile attack by Russian armed forces hit the city of Kryvyi Rih, in Dnipropetrovska oblast, killing 20 people and injuring nearly 80. Among the deaths were nine children, most of whom were playing in a park. OHCHR said it was the deadliest single verified strike harming children since the start of Russia’s fullscale invasion in February 2022. On 9 April, the Ministry of Foreign affairs organised a solidarity visit for representatives of diplomatic missions and the UN. The UNHCR Representative joined the visit and briefed the participants on UNHCR’s and its partners’ emergency response. On 13 April, another ballistic missile attack by Russian armed forces killed at least 34 people in Sumy, including two children, and injured nearly 100 others. Authorities said it was the deadliest attack this year.
- Largescale aerial attacks continue to impact civilians and civilian infrastructure across Ukraine. Overall, the number of civilian casualties in Ukraine increased in March, with the UN HRMMU reporting at least 164 people killed and 910 injured. This is 50% higher than the number of civilian casualties reported in February 2025, and more than 70% higher when compared to the same period last year. Most casualties were caused by long-range missiles and loitering munitions, with cities like Dnipro, Kharkiv, Kryvyi Rih, and Sumy among those most affected, as well as the town of Dobropillia, in Donetska oblast, where an attack on 7 March killed 11 civilians and injured almost 50 people.
- New mandatory evacuations were announced from areas in Sumska oblast, while civilians continue to leave frontline areas in Donetska and Kharkivska oblasts. Civilians in frontline communities face increasingly harsh living conditions due to constant shelling and limited access to essential services. Many evacuees are extremely vulnerable, with a significant number of older and disabled people.
- UNHCR provides immediate protection and assistance to war-affected people while supporting early recovery and durable solutions for displaced persons, returnees, and war-affected people remaining in their homes.