Intensified use of short-range drones in Ukraine increases civilian casualties, hampers humanitarian efforts on front line: OSCE/ODIHR

WARSAW, 16 December 2025 - Civilian casualties in Ukraine continued to rise significantly amid the escalating use of long-range missile and loitering munitions strikes on large urban centres by the Russian armed forces, with reported instances of attacks affecting humanitarian operations, including by short-range drones. Arbitrary detention of Ukrainian civilians, as well as unfair and unlawful trials of Ukrainian civilians and POWs on fabricated charges by Russian authorities continued, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said today in a new report.

"Nearly four years after the Russian Federation's invasion of Ukraine, the war continues to inflict a devastating toll on civilians' lives," said ODIHR Director Maria Telalian. "Through impartial monitoring and documentation, ODIHR aims to support accountability efforts and ensure respect for international humanitarian and human rights law, as well as justice for victims."

Since ODIHR published its last report, the humanitarian situation has continued to deteriorate, with damage to energy infrastructure and housing severely affecting the civilian population due to sustained attacks by the Russian armed forces. The intensified hostilities have led to the displacement of civilians from frontline areas, while access for humanitarian actors has been further restricted. Witnesses informed ODIHR of instances where humanitarian operations were affected by attacks, in violation of international humanitarian law.

This is ODIHR's eighth report on reported violations of international humanitarian law (IHL) and international human rights law (IHRL) since the Russian Federation's invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022. It is based on the testimonies of 114 witnesses and survivors interviewed by ODIHR, as well as open-source monitoring and information supplied or published by institutions of Ukraine and the Russian Federation, and intergovernmental, and non-governmental organizations. It builds on the Office's previous findings that are based on almost 700 interviews in total.

ODIHR has continued to collect evidence of the widespread and systematic use of torture by the Russian authorities against detained Ukrainian civilians and prisoners of war (POWs), with a number of Ukrainian civilian former detainees and former POWs reporting that they were subjected to torture or other forms of ill-treatment in detention. Testimonies from former Ukrainian POWs indicated that conditions may be improving in some locations, while reports confirmed dire detention conditions for civilians. At the same time, ODIHR received a number of witness testimonies on unfair and unlawful trials of Ukrainian civilians and POWs by the Russian authorities on fabricated charges, including of war crimes or terrorism.

Today's report again documents a pattern of use by the Russian armed forces of explosive weapons with wide area effects in densely populated areas, raising serious concerns about compliance with the principles of distinction and proportionality. On a much smaller scale, Ukrainian forces have also carried out strikes on populated areas in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine and within Russia. Worryingly, information collected by ODIHR suggests that both parties to the conflict may have recruited and used children for information gathering, or engaging in espionage and sabotage activities, in contravention of IHL.

ODIHR makes a series of recommendations to both parties to the conflict to address the issues highlighted in the report, including ending any involvement of minors in activities related to the ongoing hostilities. All parties to an armed conflict must act in line with international humanitarian and human rights law, which prohibits indiscriminate attacks against civilians and protects the civilian population at all times.