Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict — February 2026

Summary

• Conflict-related violence in February 2026 killed at least 188 people and injured 757. Total casualties were similar to January 2026, but 31 per cent higher than in February 2025 (130 killed; 592 injured) and 83 per cent higher than in February 2024 (156 killed; 360 injured).
   
• Attacks with long-range weapons (missiles and drones) caused about 36 per cent of all civilian casualties (60 killed; 276 injured), most of them in cities and towns far from the frontline.
   
• Near the frontline, short-range drone attacks remained the primary cause of civilian casualties (52 killed; 222 injured). Aerial bombs caused  47 per cent more casualties in February (40 killed; 107 injured) compared with January (17 killed; 83 injured).
   
• The vast majority of civilian casualties (97 per cent) occurred in areas under the control of the Government of Ukraine. Civilians were killed or injured across 15 regions of Ukraine and the city of Kyiv.
   
• Repeated attacks by Russian armed forces on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, including 6 combined large-scale coordinated strikes, continued to cause extensive disruptions to electricity, heating, and water across the country. At least 10 individual strikes targeted combined heating and power plants (CHPPs) responsible for residential heating, as temperatures remained well below freezing.