New data from Ukraine’s Ministry of Justice shows that the country recorded 2.9 times more deaths than births in 2025, Ukrainian news agency Interfax reports. Officials tallied 485,300 deaths, compared with 168,780 registered births. The birth rate declined by about 7,900 or nearly 5 percent compared with 2024, while the death rate also dropped by about 9,790 or 2 percent. The ratio for the number of registered deaths to the number of births was the highest in Kherson and Donetsk regions, which recorded 11.9 and 11.2 times more deaths than births, respectively. Fighting has raged in Donetsk for months. The northwestern Rivne region reported the lowest death-to-birth ratio of 1.5 times, while the capital Kyiv’s was 1.9, the agency added. In 2021, before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the country recorded 714,260 deaths and 273,770 births, about 2.6 times fewer.
Russia shells settlements in Ukraine’s Donetsk, injuring 1, displacing dozens
Russian forces have shelled Ukrainian settlements in the Donetsk region at least 20 times over the past day, injuring at least one person, according to Governor Vadym Filashkin. More than 130 people – including 28 children – were forced to evacuate the front line amid the assault, Filashkin wrote on Telegram. Twelve homes were damaged across a handful of districts, while multiple high-rise residential buildings, cars and an administrative building were also hit. One civilian was injured in the Kramatorsk district, but further details were not immediately available.
Russia’s overnight attack leaves at least 1.2 million Ukrainians without power
Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Oleksii Kuleba says at least 1.2 million people have been left without power as a result of Russia’s overnight missile and drone attack. Kuleba said 800,000 were without power in the Kyiv region and about 400,000 in Chernihiv. In Kyiv, Kuleba said “heating supply disruptions” had been reported in 600,000 buildings, with heating “completely absent” in about a quarter of those. The temperature across Ukraine regularly drops well below 0C (32F) during these months.
Russia’s attacks on Ukraine called cynical amid talks in Abu Dhabi
Ukraine’s foreign minister has described Russia’s overnight attacks across Ukraine as cynical, happening as talks continued between the delegations in Abu Dhabi. Andrii Sybiha said it was “another night of Russian terror” for Ukrainians, adding that the missiles “hit not only our people, but also the negotiation table”. “Main targets remained the same: energy objects and residential areas,” he added.
Zelenskyy calls for air defence supplies after hundreds of Russian drone, missile attacks overnight
Russia’s assault last night included more than 370 attack drones and 21 missiles, mainly targeting Kyiv’s energy sector, Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said. “Each such Russian strike on the energy sector proves that we cannot delay air defence supplies,” Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram. “We cannot turn a blind eye to these strikes, we must respond, and respond with force.” Zelenskyy said yesterday he had secured a commitment from US President Donald Trump to supply more Patriot missiles for Ukraine’s air defence system. In light of the overnight attack, Ukraine must “implement everything we agreed with President Trump in Davos regarding air defence”, the president added.