---
title: "Drones become most common cause of death for civilians in Ukraine war, UN says"
description: "KYIV, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Short-range aerial drones were the most common killer of civilians in Ukraine in January, the U.N.'s monitoring mission said on Tuesday, highlighting how drone use has ballooned during three years of war with Russia."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "Ukraine war"
author: "Reuters"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/reuters/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-02-11-drones-become-most-common-cause-of-death-for-civilians-in-ukraine-war-un-says/"
published: "2025-02-11T12:42:11"
updated: "2025-02-11T12:42:13"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 204
---

# Drones become most common cause of death for civilians in Ukraine war, UN says

> KYIV, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Short-range aerial drones were the most common killer of civilians in Ukraine in January, the U.N.'s monitoring mission said on Tuesday, highlighting how drone use has ballooned during three years of war with Russia.

By Reuters · Published 11 February 2025, 14:42 SAST · Updated 11 February 2025, 14:42 SAST

## Key points
- In a grim reminder that modern warfare has traded boots on the ground for drones in the sky, the U.N. reports that January 2025 saw at least 139 civilians killed by these high-tech harbingers of doom, raising the total civilian death toll to nearly 12,500—proving that in this conflict, the only thing flying higher than the drones is the body count.
- U.N. reports at least 139 civilian deaths and 738 injuries in January 2025, with drones responsible for 27% of fatalities.
- Total civilian casualties in the war reach nearly 12,500, including 650 children, though actual numbers are likely higher.
- Drones have evolved from auxiliary tools to primary weapons, with both Ukraine and Russia producing over a million in 2024.
- U.N. warns of a troubling trend in drone usage that endangers civilians, despite operators' ability to distinguish targets.

## Content

The U.N. mission said at least 139 civilians were killed and 738 wounded in January 2025, with 27% of the deaths and 30% of the injuries caused by short-range drones.

In total, the U.N. says nearly 12,500 civilians have been killed in the war including 650 children - though it has repeatedly said its tally is an undercount since it only includes deaths its teams have managed to verify.

Aerial drones, which at the start of the war were mostly seen as an auxiliary tool, have become one of the most important battlefield weapons in the conflict, with both Ukraine and Russia producing well over a million each in 2024.

"Our data shows a clear and disturbing pattern of short-range drones being used in ways that put civilians at grave risk," a press release quoted the U.N. monitoring mission's head Danielle Bell as saying.

"The on-board (drone) cameras should allow operators to distinguish with a higher degree of certainty between civilians and military objectives, yet civilians continue to be killed in alarming numbers."

Russia denies deliberately targeting civilians, though many thousands have been killed since it launched a full-scale invasion of its neighbour in February 2022.

(Reporting by Max Hunder; editing by Mark Heinrich)