Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict — November 2024

At least 165 civilians were killed and 887 injured in Ukraine in November. Eight of the killed and 57 of the injured were children. While the November casualty number was lower than in October, it was significantly higher than in November 2023 (113 killed; 363 injured).

The vast majority of civilian casualties (93 per cent) and damage to educational and health facilities (97.5 per cent) occurred in territory controlled by Ukraine.

42 per cent of the casualties (65 killed; 372 injured) resulted from the use of long-range weapons (missiles and loitering munitions) launched by Russian armed forces, a significant increase from previous months. Civilian casualties from missiles and loitering munitions were recorded in 11 regions of Ukraine.

Russian armed forces resumed large-scale, coordinated attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. The most recent attack before November occurred in August. Two attacks in November damaged 24 electricity generation and distribution facilities in 13 regions, including facilities involved in the conversion and transmission of electricity from nuclear power plants, resulting in emergency power outages in many regions and the resumption of daily scheduled power outages across the country.

Around 57 per cent of casualties in November occurred near the frontline, mostly from aerial bombardments, artillery shelling, MLRS strikes and short-range drone attacks, with the highest numbers in Kherson and Donetsk regions. In Kherson region, attacks with short-range unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) killed and injured civilians on a near-daily basis, accounting for nearly half of the civilian casualties in the region in November.