May becomes deadliest month for civilians in Ukraine since 2022, UN says
The United Nations has confirmed the deaths of more than 16,000 civilians over the past four years (photo: Getty Images)
Russia has intensified its air attacks on Ukraine. As a result, May 2026 became the deadliest month in terms of civilians killed and injured in the past four years, Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific Mohamed Khaled Khiari said during a meeting of the United Nations Security Council.
Citing data from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, he reported that at least 274 civilians were killed in Ukraine in May, while another 1,763 were injured.
"This is the highest monthly number of people killed and injured since April 2022," Mohamed Khaled Khiari stressed.
Since the start of the full-scale war, the United Nations has confirmed the deaths of at least 16,126 civilians. Of those, 796 were children. At the same time, 46,590 civilians have been injured, including 2,835 children. However, Khiari suggested that the real figures could be significantly higher.
What else was said at the United Nations Security Council
During his speech, Khiari recalled that on June 17 this year, Russia once again carried out a combined strike against Ukraine. On that day, sites of exceptional historical and cultural value were damaged.
In particular, the strike hit the territory of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, a UNESCO World Heritage site, while before that, a Russian drone attacked the Kharkiv Art Museum.
According to UNESCO data, more than 530 cultural sites in Ukraine have been damaged since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion.
Khiari also commented on the situation in Russia and in occupied Ukrainian territories, including Crimea.
The assistant secretary-general called for de-escalation and the immediate restoration of diplomatic relations to achieve a full ceasefire and lasting peace in accordance with the United Nations Charter, international law, and adopted resolutions.
Attacks on Ukraine
On the evening of June 22, Russian forces carried out six guided aerial bomb strikes on Sumy. As a result of one of the strikes, a trolleybus caught fire and was destroyed. A 60-year-old driver was seriously injured.
During the night of June 22, Russian drones attacked merchant vessels heading to Ukrainian ports. One person was killed as a result of the attack on one of the ships.
