KYIV, Ukraine, April 25, 2025 – Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC) strongly condemns the devastating April 24 attack by Russian forces on the capital city of Kyiv. The strike killed multiple civilians and injured dozens more, including children, with the toll likely to rise as search and rescue operations continue.
“This latest devastating attack is a stark reminder of the human toll of continued strikes on cities in Ukraine. While global attention turns to ceasefire negotiations, civilians are still being killed, maimed, and displaced,” said CIVIC Ukraine Country Director Alexander Grif. “Every life lost is a reminder of the urgent need for stronger international action to prevent unlawful attacks and hold perpetrators accountable.”
The coordinated attack sparked fires and caused widespread destruction across five districts of Kyiv, making it one of the deadliest and most extensive assaults on the capital in recent months.
A missile strike almost completely destroyed a multi-story residential building in Svyatoshynskyi district. Rescue teams are still searching for survivors trapped beneath the rubble. The strikes also damaged buildings in the Solomyanskyi, Dniprovskyi, Shevchenkivskyi, and Desnianskyi districts—densely populated neighborhoods where families were asleep at the time of the attack.
Civilian casualties in Ukraine have sharply risen since the start of the year. According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), at least 164 civilians were killed and 910 injured in Ukraine in March 2025. The numbers constitute a 50 per cent increase from February 2025 (129 killed; 588 injured), and a 71 per cent increase compared with March 2024 (129 killed; 498 injured). This rise is largely due to the increased frequency of attacks targeting civilian sites and densely populated areas across Ukraine.
The repeated use of explosive weapons in populated areas continues to inflict predictable yet unacceptable harm on civilians and the infrastructure essential to their survival,” said Grif.
This latest strike follows similar deadly attacks that occurred in recent months, including in Kryvyi Rih on March 5 and April 4, where civilians once again paid the highest price. The ongoing use of explosive weapons in populated areas continues to have devastating humanitarian consequences.
CIVIC urges governments and international actors to use all tools at their disposal to prevent further apparently indiscriminate, and disproportionate attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure.
For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:
Global CIVIC Communications: [email protected]
In Kyiv: Communications Manager, Liudmyla Gitsevych, +380967377810 , [email protected]
Spokespersons are available in English and Ukrainian
CIVIC in Ukraine
CIVIC has been present in Ukraine since 2017, conducting research and on-the-ground activities assisting the Ukrainian government and the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) in the development and implementation of tools, training, and policies on protection of civilians. CIVIC in Ukraine is also supporting local communities in the areas at risk of escalation of hostilities and in newly liberated areas by strengthening their preparedness and resilience to protection threats, building effective coordination systems with the military, local authorities and communities, and amplifying civilians’ voice through research and advocacy.
Image courtesy of the Communications Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine
